Every state has an agency to help obtain and enforce child support payments and deal with related issues. A good first step for you would be to consult your local phone book and call the agency. Check under child support in the government section. The procedures can get bureaucratic some complain, but it is worth the time-if the situation gets complex you may eventually need to hire a local attorney though in that case you should get an initial consultation free.
Many states have a parent locator service. Call your state’s support enforcement agency and ask about the parent locator service. If they are not able to help you, you can often locate a missing parent if you know what state he or she resides in simply by asking for a search of the motor vehicle records for that state. Also, don’t forget the simple method of simply calling information (555-1212) for the area where you think the parent may reside; many, “missing” persons have been found that way! Also, ask friends or relatives of the parent, since many people will give up information about a missing parent simply because the missing parent has a child. If all else fails, a private detective can be asked to conduct a search. Often, they can quickly and fairly cheaply locate a person simply using computer searches. However, private investigation can get expensive, and it is wise to be very clear with yourself and your private investigator with respect to how much money you are willing to spend on locating the other parent.
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