questions & answers

Question: On 1/2/07 my husband was taken to court by his daughter's Mother for child support. He was ordered to pay the previous 3 yrs of arrears even though the mother had moved the child and had no contact with my husband for 8 yrs. In the paperwork, he was allowed to claim her 2 of every 3 yrs on taxes, but she will not give him the SSN# of the child. What can he do to obtain this information? The SSA office will not assist him with the BC of the child and his DL. What can we do?

Answer:

Under Arizona law, both parents of a child are entitled to equal access to all records related to the child concerning the child's "education and physical, mental, moral, and emotional health."  A.R.S. 25-403.06.  The same statute also requires each parent to comply with a "reasonable request" for documents and provides for legal sanctions against someone who refuses.  It is possible that this statute may provide legal authority for a request for information regarding a child.

There are other options available for a parent seeking access to his or her child’s social security number. The Social Security Administration provides a means of requesting a new or replacement Social Security Card.  Various documents will be required to prove identity and citizenship status and additional information is required for a person requesting another person's information.  A list of acceptable documents can be found along with the application.  After this documentation is gathered, an application must be printed and filled out and then sent (in person or by mail) to a local social security office. The SSA's Office Locator can be used to find an office near you.