CS Audit is NOT a government agency. We are a private company building a tool for the public. — Adam & Lynn Incorporated
50 states. 50 systems.
Zero accountability.
CS Audit pulls your emails, work search logs, calendar, and documents — then checks everything against your court order and what the agency actually did. Every time the numbers don't match, every missed step, every action they took that doesn't line up — it gets flagged and put in a report. Whether you're paying or receiving, the math should be right.
The system wasn't built to be checked.
11.6 million cases. Almost no independent oversight. When the agency gets it wrong — whether you're paying or receiving — you pay the price. Nobody audits them on your behalf.
Records that don't add up
State agencies miscalculate income, overstate arrears, apply the wrong guidelines, and charge you for periods when you had no ability to pay. When you challenge it, the burden of proof is on you.
Enforcement that only works one way
You provide full-time care for one child — and the agency won't lift a finger to enforce the order in your favor. But for your other case? They enforce every dollar, every month, without question.
Contempt for being broke
In many cases, people are jailed for inability to pay — not unwillingness. The system treats poverty as a crime, garnishes over 50% of income, and provides no mechanism to prove you literally can't.
Zero accountability
The court sets the order. The agency enforces it. When those two don't match — and they often don't — nobody catches it on your behalf. There's no consumer-facing audit verifying whether the agency followed the court's own ruling.
"When the agency that made the error is also the one deciding whether to fix it — who audits them?"
The numbers nobody tells you.
Every statistic below comes from federal reports, published statutes, or Supreme Court rulings. These aren't opinions. These are the rules the agencies agreed to follow.
What the system actually looks like.
Federal audits, academic research, and the government's own data paint a picture they don't put on the brochure.
of child support arrears are owed by parents earning less than $10,000/year.
Urban Institute, "Assessing Child Support Arrears in Nine Large States and the Nation," 2007
parents in prison or jail have an active child support obligation. Debt accrues while they’re locked up — and the Bradley Amendment prohibits retroactive reduction.
NCSL / Bureau of Justice Statistics / The Marshall Project
in federal performance incentive payments to states per year — bonuses for collecting more, not for getting it right.
CRS Report RS22380, FY2023 — 42 U.S.C. § 658a
of total child support obligations were collected in FY2024. The system carries $146.7 billion in obligations and recovers less than $1 in $5.
CRS Report RS22380, OCSE FY2024 Preliminary Data
of all child support collected through mandatory wage withholding. The primary enforcement mechanism is garnishing paychecks — before the parent even sees the money.
CRS Report RS22380, OCSE FY2024 Preliminary Data
is what actually went to TANF families — out of $608 million collected on their behalf. The rest reimburses the state and federal government.
CRS Report RS22380, OCSE FY2024 Preliminary Data
of all state prisoners have at least one minor child. Their support obligations typically stay in place during incarceration, and many states still let arrears accumulate.
Bureau of Justice Statistics, Parents in Prison Survey, 2016
of all administrative costs are reimbursed by the federal government. The more a state enforces, the more federal money it receives — regardless of whether the underlying amount is accurate.
42 U.S.C. § 655(a)(2) — Federal Financial Participation
Documented procedural violations
These are the kinds of errors and enforcement failures CS Audit is built to catch — cross-referenced against the laws and guidelines agencies are required to follow.
Income imputation without verification
Agencies set payment amounts based on what they think you could earn — not what you actually earn. Minimum-wage workers get orders calculated on imputed "earning capacity."
Failure to review and adjust orders
Federal law requires states to review support orders every 3 years. Many states review a fraction of eligible cases. Orders based on decade-old income stay in effect.
Incarceration without ability-to-pay determination
The Supreme Court ruled that courts must determine whether someone can actually pay before jailing them for contempt. States still incarcerate without hearings.
Retroactive arrears that can't be modified
The Bradley Amendment prohibits retroactive reduction of child support arrears — even if you were hospitalized, incarcerated, or lost your job. Debt accumulates regardless of circumstances.
Disproportionate wage garnishment
Child support can garnish up to 65% of disposable income. Every other type of debt in America is capped at 25%. There is no other category of civil obligation with this level of wage seizure.
Automatic passport denial on disputed amounts
At $2,500 in arrears, passport denial is automatic — no hearing, no dispute process, no verification that the amount is even accurate. The agency reports; the State Department acts.
Sources: Congressional Research Service, RS22380 (Jan. 2026); OCSE FY2024 Preliminary Data Report; Urban Institute, “Assessing Child Support Arrears,” 2007; Bureau of Justice Statistics, Parents in Prison Survey, 2016; Consumer Credit Protection Act, 15 U.S.C. § 1673; Code of Federal Regulations, 45 CFR § 303.8; Turner v. Rogers, 564 U.S. 431 (2011); Bradley Amendment, 42 U.S.C. § 666(a)(9)(C).
This isn't about blame. It's about accountability.
Child support agencies process millions of cases. Mistakes happen. But when there's no independent audit — when the agency that made the error is also the one deciding whether to fix it — parents pay the price.
The system was built to move money — not to make sure the math is right. It fails the parent who pays. It fails the parent who receives. And the children it claims to protect never see the difference.
If you're paying
- Courts can impute income based on "earning capacity" — not actual earnings. The burden to prove you can't earn that amount falls on you, not the agency. (State guidelines per 45 CFR § 302.56)
- Arrears accrue during incarceration, hospitalization, or unemployment. The Bradley Amendment (1986) prohibits retroactive reduction — and only ~13 states auto-modify orders. In most states, you must file a motion yourself. (42 U.S.C. § 666(a)(9)(C); NCSL)
- Federal law allows garnishment of up to 50–65% of disposable earnings for child support — more than any other type of debt. (15 U.S.C. § 1673(b)(2))
- The system says you need to pay — then suspends your driver's license so you can't get to work. States are required to suspend licenses for arrears. The same tool meant to compel payment eliminates your ability to earn it. (42 U.S.C. § 666(a)(16))
- Can't pay? You can be jailed for civil contempt — even without a lawyer. The Supreme Court ruled incarceration is only lawful when the obligor has the ability to pay, but enforcement of that standard varies wildly by state. (Turner v. Rogers, 564 U.S. 431 (2011))
If you're receiving
- Federal law requires a $35 annual fee retained from your support collections in non-TANF cases once $550 is collected — taken from money owed to you, not the obligor. (42 U.S.C. § 654(6)(B)(ii))
- In FY2024, only 65.3% of current support owed was actually collected. The other 34.7% — owed to families — went unenforced. (CRS RS22380, Jan. 2026)
- Federal law only requires the agency to notify you of amounts collected monthly — or quarterly, if the Secretary determines monthly is "an unreasonable administrative burden." (42 U.S.C. § 654(5)(A))
- If you received TANF, the state kept the support collected "on your behalf" to reimburse itself. In FY2024, families on TANF saw just $101M of the $608M collected for them. (CRS RS22380, FY2024)
- Money gets collected — but it doesn't come straight to you. It routes through a state disbursement unit first. Delays of weeks are common. There's no timeline they have to meet. (42 U.S.C. § 654b)
The system says it's "for the children."
But it measures success by dollars collected — not by whether children are actually supported. It incentivizes enforcement volume over accuracy. It rewards states for how much they collect, not how much reaches families. The federal government reimburses 66% of program costs and pays $532M in performance incentives — none of which are tied to child outcomes.
CS Audit doesn't take sides between parents. It audits the agency. It checks whether the calculations match the guidelines. Whether enforcement actions are applied consistently. Whether the records are accurate. Whether due process was followed.
When the system works the way it's supposed to, families are better off. CS Audit exists to make sure it does.
The law already protects you.
Most people just don't know it exists.
In 2016, the federal government published the "Final Rule" — a binding regulation that governs how every state must calculate child support. It sets minimum standards for fairness, income imputation, and low-income protections that every state agency is required to follow.
45 C.F.R. § 302.56 · 81 FR 93562 · December 20, 2016 · Title 45, Subtitle B, Chapter III, Part 302
45 C.F.R. § 302.56 — Guidelines for setting child support orders
Verbatim from the Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (eCFR)
(c) The child support guidelines established under paragraph (a) of this section must at a minimum:
(1) Provide that the child support order is based on the noncustodial parent's earnings, income, and other evidence of ability to pay that:
(i) Takes into consideration all earnings and income of the noncustodial parent (and at the State's discretion, the custodial parent);
Plain language: The order must be based on what you actually earn — all sources of income, not just wages.
(ii) Takes into consideration the basic subsistence needs of the noncustodial parent (and at the State's discretion, the custodial parent and children) who has a limited ability to pay by incorporating a low-income adjustment, such as a self-support reserve or some other method determined by the State; and
Plain language: If you have limited ability to pay, the state must factor in your basic living needs. Every state is required to have a low-income adjustment — a "self-support reserve" — so child support doesn't leave you unable to survive.
(iii) If imputation of income is authorized, takes into consideration the specific circumstances of the noncustodial parent (and at the State's discretion, the custodial parent) to the extent known, including such factors as the noncustodial parent's assets, residence, employment and earnings history, job skills, educational attainment, literacy, age, health, criminal record and other employment barriers, and record of seeking work, as well as the local job market, the availability of employers willing to hire the noncustodial parent, prevailing earnings level in the local community, and other relevant background factors in the case.
Plain language: Before a state can assign you income you're not actually earning ("imputed income"), federal law requires them to consider your actual circumstances — not just pick a number.
The state must look at:
- Your actual assets, where you live, and your employment history
- Your job skills, education level, literacy, and age
- Your physical and mental health
- Your criminal record and other barriers to employment
- Whether you've been actively seeking work
- The local job market — not a theoretical national average
- Whether employers in your area are actually willing to hire you
- What people actually earn in your community
If a court or agency set your support based on "earning capacity" without considering these factors, the calculation may not comply with federal law.
(3) Provide that incarceration may not be treated as voluntary unemployment in establishing or modifying support orders;
Plain language: If you're incarcerated, the state cannot treat that as you choosing not to work. They cannot set or increase a support order based on the assumption that incarceration is voluntary unemployment.
(2) Address how the parents will provide for the child's health care needs through private or public health care coverage and/or through cash medical support;
Plain language: The order must specifically address health care — insurance or cash medical support — not just lump it into the total.
(4) Be based on specific descriptive and numeric criteria and result in a computation of the child support obligation.
Plain language: The order must come from an actual calculation with documented criteria — not a subjective judgment call.
Rebuttable Presumption
§ 302.56(f)–(g): The guidelines amount is presumed correct — but it can be rebutted. If a court deviates from the guidelines, it must state in writing the amount that would have been required under the guidelines and justify why the order differs. The criteria for deviation must consider the best interests of the child.
Quadrennial Review
§ 302.56(e), (h): States must review their guidelines every four years. That review must analyze imputed income order rates, default order rates, and the impact on parents below 200% of the federal poverty level. States must also provide a meaningful opportunity for public input from low-income custodial and noncustodial parents.
What CS Audit checks
CS Audit cross-references your case data against these federal requirements. When there's a gap between what the law requires and what the agency did, the report flags it.
The text above is reproduced verbatim from the Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (eCFR). Federal regulations are public domain works of the U.S. Government and are not subject to copyright (17 U.S.C. § 105). Plain-language explanations are provided for informational purposes only and do not constitute legal advice. Consult a licensed attorney for guidance on your specific case.
Read the full regulation on eCFR.govYour records. Their records. One audit.
Eight tools that track what you're doing, pull in what the agency has on file, and find where the two don't match.
Work Search Log
Track every job application, interview, and follow-up. Dated, organized, and included in your audit report automatically.
Caseworker Correspondence
Keep a record of every call, email, and conversation with your case worker. If they said it, you have it.
Housing & Stability
Document where you live, what you're doing to stay stable, and every step you've taken to get back on your feet.
Childcare Documentation
Log every day with your kids — doctor visits, school pickups, expenses, meals. The parenting you do, finally on the record.
Mental Health & Emotional Log
Check in on how you're really doing. Track your mental health journey, counseling, and progress — in your own words.
Court Orders & Agency Records
Upload court orders, state letters, and enforcement notices. The system reads them, extracts the numbers, and compares what the court ordered against what the agency is actually enforcing.
Order vs. Enforcement Audit
The court ordered $X. The agency enforces $Y. Every delta is flagged — wrong amounts, wrong dates, guidelines they didn't follow, modifications they ignored.
Pattern Detection
The system looks at all of your records and the state's records side by side — and catches the math errors, wrong dates, and contradictions you might miss.
It connects to your life.
Link the accounts you already use. Your records get collected automatically — so nothing gets lost.
Gmail & Email
Automatically ingest caseworker emails, job application confirmations, and correspondence. Every email timestamped and indexed.
Google Drive
Connect your Drive to pull in court documents, state letters, pay stubs, and any files you've saved. Everything gets organized for you.
Calendar
Sync your custody schedule, court dates, job interviews, and caseworker meetings. The system builds a timeline from your real life.
Photos & Receipts
Take pictures of receipts, childcare costs, housing documents. They're saved with the date and time the moment you take them.
Voice Memos
Talk into your phone. Record what happened today, how a call with your caseworker went, or just how you're feeling. It gets written down and added to your record.
Document Upload
Court orders, state notices, medical records, school reports — upload anything. The system reads them, pulls out the important details, and finds where things don't add up.
All connections are read-only and encrypted. You choose exactly what gets pulled in.
Four steps. Court order in, audit report out.
You live your life. The system quantifies it — and catches what the agency got wrong.
Connect your accounts.
Link your Gmail, Google Drive, and calendar. Upload court orders, take pictures of receipts, record voice memos from your phone. Everything is saved with dates and times, automatically.
The system quantifies everything.
It reads your emails, logs your work search, indexes your documents — and compares all of it against the court order and the agency's enforcement actions. When the order says one thing and the agency does another, it gets flagged.
It finds the delta.
Court ordered $800/mo but the agency enforces $1,200. Modification filed in January but enforcement didn't change until June. Guidelines say 17% but they calculated 25%. Every gap between what was ordered and what was enforced — documented.
You get the audit report.
A clear, organized audit showing everything you documented, every discrepancy between the court order and the agency's actions, and the exact statutes and guidelines that apply — ready to share with your attorney.
Your case, measured.
Five scores that give you and your attorney a clear picture of where the agency's records don't add up.
Are You in Compliance?
Shows how well what you're doing lines up with what the court ordered. Updated every week.
Do the Records Match?
Compares your records to the state's records. When they don't match, you see exactly where.
How Are You Doing?
Tracks your emotional wellbeing over time — a documented record of the work you're putting into your mental health.
Your Parenting Score
Every day with your kids, every doctor visit, every expense — measured and documented so it actually counts.
State Errors Found
The number of mistakes and contradictions found in state records when compared to yours.
Lower = more mistakes foundBuilt for people the system isn't working for.
If you're dealing with a child support agency that won't follow its own rules, CS Audit documents the discrepancies.
Dual-case parents
You're owed support for one child and paying for another — and the agency only enforces in one direction. You need documentation that shows the inconsistency in black and white.
Parents facing calculation errors
The agency has the wrong income, the wrong dates, the wrong amounts. You've tried to correct it and been ignored. CS Audit does the math they won't.
Parents facing contempt proceedings
You're being held in contempt for non-payment — but the numbers are wrong, the garnishment is excessive, or you were incapacitated. You need a documented audit, not a prayer.
Anyone rebuilding who needs proof
You're doing the work — finding housing, applying for jobs, showing up for your kids. But none of it is documented anywhere that matters. CS Audit makes sure it is.
Your data is yours. Period.
Every document, every log entry, every check-in is locked down and protected. We built this with the same security we use for venture-backed companies. Your records are sensitive — we treat them that way.
Pricing that respects where you are.
If you're fighting for your kids, cost shouldn't be another obstacle.
Full Access
Everything. No feature gates, no upsells. One price for the full system.
- Connect Gmail, Drive & Calendar
- Unlimited document uploads
- Work search log & caseworker tracking
- Childcare & housing documentation
- Mental health & emotional check-ins
- AI-powered record analysis
- State discrepancy detection
- Guideline cross-reference engine
- Comprehensive audit reports
- Encrypted & private — always
Pay What You Can
If you're on SNAP, Medicaid, TANF, housing assistance, or any form of state aid — you choose what you can afford. Starting at $1.
No verification required. We're not going to ask you to prove you're struggling. You already have enough people asking you to prove things. Pick what you can pay and that's it.
- Same full system — nothing held back
- Same security, same features
- Same audit reports
- No trial period, no expiration
We built this because we've been there. The price should never be the reason someone can't fight for their kids.
CS Audit is NOT a government agency.
CS Audit is a product of Adam & Lynn Incorporated, a private company. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to any federal, state, or local child support enforcement agency, court system, or government entity. We do not have the authority to modify, enforce, or adjudicate child support orders. We build software tools for the public.
State laws vary. Your state's rules may be different.
The federal regulations referenced on this page (45 C.F.R. § 302.56) set minimum standards that all states must follow. However, each state has its own child support guidelines, income tables, imputation rules, enforcement procedures, and modification processes. What applies in one state may not apply in another. CS Audit references federal law and your state's published guidelines — but you should always consult a licensed attorney in your state to understand how the law applies to your specific situation.
FCRA Disclosure & Legal Notices
Coen 1™ CS Audit is a product of Adam & Lynn Incorporated, operating as a Specialty Consumer Reporting Agency as defined under 15 U.S.C. § 1681a(f) of the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA). Reports generated by CS Audit are Fact-Based Specialty Reports that audit the accuracy and consistency of data furnished by child support enforcement agencies.
Not Legal Advice. CS Audit does not provide legal advice, legal representation, or legal strategy. Nothing on this website or in any CS Audit report should be construed as legal advice. Reports are administrative compliance audits intended for review by the user and their licensed attorney. CS Audit does not recommend legal actions, draft legal documents, or interpret law for your case. Always consult a licensed attorney in your jurisdiction for legal guidance.
Not a Government Agency. CS Audit is a private product made by a private company. We are not a government agency. We are not affiliated with any child support enforcement agency, state IV-D program, court, or government entity at any level — federal, state, or local. We do not enforce, modify, or adjudicate child support orders. We have no government authority of any kind.
No Reporting on Individuals. CS Audit does not report on, profile, or evaluate other individuals — including the other parent in a case. All audit activity is directed at agency records, procedures, and compliance with published state and federal guidelines.
State Laws Vary. Federal regulations set minimum standards. Each state implements its own child support guidelines with its own rules for income calculation, imputation, enforcement, and modification. The information on this page references federal law and is for general informational purposes. It does not describe the specific law of any particular state. Consult an attorney licensed in your state.
No Guarantee of Outcomes. Using CS Audit does not guarantee any particular legal outcome, modification of a support order, or resolution of a dispute. Audit reports identify discrepancies in agency records — they do not guarantee that a court or agency will act on them.
Children's Data Protection. CS Audit processes parent-to-agency interactions and administrative records. The platform does not collect, store, or process data about minors. Any uploaded documents that may contain information about minors are stored with end-to-end encryption accessible only to the account holder and their designated attorney. CS Audit is compliant with COPPA — users must be 18 or older.
Informational Content. All references to federal and state law on this website are for general informational and educational purposes only. Federal regulations quoted on this page are public domain (17 U.S.C. § 105). Plain-language explanations are our interpretation and should not be relied upon as legal authority. The law may have changed since publication. Verify all legal references independently.
Every report generated by CS Audit carries the header: "This document is a Fact-Based Specialty Report prepared under 15 U.S.C. § 1681a(f). It audits the accuracy of data furnished by child support enforcement agencies and is not a substitute for legal advice."
One record. Two stories.
Get the audit.
Whether you're paying, receiving, or fighting to be heard — the numbers should be right. CS Audit connects your records, cross-references agency data, and generates the audit report.
Sign up for early access:
No spam. We'll email you when it's ready. See our Privacy Policy.
Currently in development. Priority access for people with active cases.
CS Audit is NOT a government agency. We are a private company. Not affiliated with any court, enforcement agency, or government entity.
Coen 1™ CS Audit is a product of Adam & Lynn Incorporated. CS Audit is a Specialty Consumer Reporting Agency. Reports are intended for use by the consumer and their legal counsel. This tool does not provide legal advice. State laws vary — consult a licensed attorney in your state.