Title: Child Support Processing Clerk -Essex Probate & Family Court 

Pay Grade: Grade 7

Starting Pay: $44,865.27

Departmental Mission Statement: To deliver timely justice to the public by providing equal access to a fair, equitable, and efficient forum to resolve family and probate legal matters and to and assist and protect all individuals, families, and children in an impartial and respectful manner.

Probate and Family Court Organization Profile

Notes:

This position is designated as a union position and is covered by the Collective Bargaining Agreement with O.P.E.I.U., Local 6.

The person in this position may be required to travel between Lawrence and Salem as needed. 

Position Summary: This series is responsible for performing a variety of duties related to the establishment and enforcement of court orders pertaining to divorce, separation and paternity matters involving minor children within the Probate and Family Court Department. In addition to case processing duties, this series is responsible for providing service to the public and other individuals who have business with the court consistent with policies on confidentiality. The position title above the entry level requires the performance of increasingly more responsible and varied work which requires more knowledge of court procedures and operations and the exercise of more independent judgment. Employees are hired at the entry-level position title and are eligible for reclassification to the higher-level position titles within this series consistent with the specifications for the higher-level position titles. The position titles revert to the entry-level when there are vacancies.

ORGANIZATIONAL LEVELS:   This position is part of a series that includes a number of levels. Employees are appointed to the entry-level and are eligible to advance to the higher levels consistent with this job description and Trial Court policies.  

Child Support Processing Clerk I - This is the entry-level position title within this series. Employees at this level are expected to perform a variety of simple to moderately complex duties requiring knowledge of specific court procedures and general awareness of laws that determine those procedures.  

Child Support Processing Clerk II - This is the second-level position title within this series. Employees at this second level are expected to perform more complex and responsible case processing functions requiring advanced knowledge of specific court procedures and general awareness of laws that determine those procedures. This series requires the ability to perform those duties with limited supervision and the exercise of more independent judgment.

Duties: Child Support Processing Clerk I Duties:                        

• Performs general intake case duties including receiving court papers and documents from the Department of Revenue and other parties.  
• Checks index for new cases assigns docket numbers and prepares index and docket sheets.  
• Dockets all complaints, judgments, orders, income assignments, and actions taken by the Court on the hearing date. 
• Copies, files, retrieves, and sorts court papers, documents, and folders according to established procedures.   Provides customer service in paternity and child support cases to attorneys, litigants, law enforcement personnel, and the general public. 
• Distributes the Child Support Case Intake Form and Child Support Enforcement Services Application Form to parties in child support matters.  
• Responds to routine requests for information concerning cases, scheduling, and court procedures.  
• Performs other duties as the needs of the Court require.    

Child Support Processing Clerk II Additional Duties:  

• Provides customer service in paternity and child support cases to attorneys, litigants, law enforcement personnel, and the general public. This includes providing information of a more specialized and/or detailed nature.  
• Performs more complex case processing functions, including reviewing court documents, papers, and filings for accuracy and completeness and determining to process required prior to entering them in the permanent record, identifying inaccuracies and or discrepancies, and taking action to resolve such inaccuracies or discrepancies within established guidelines, or referring unusual problems to a supervisor.  
• Assists in the training of new employees and in the ongoing training of other employees in child support matters.  
• Responds to unusual and complicated requests for information concerning cases, scheduling and court procedures.  
• May serve as a "floating processing clerk" who is able to perform complex case processing functions related to child support orders in different work units within the office as required.  
• Performs all of the duties of the lower level within this series and other duties as the needs of the court require.

Minimum Requirements: These are the minimum requirements necessary to apply for the position of Child Support Processing Clerk:  

Child Support Processing Clerk I Requirements  

• Graduation from high school or its equivalent.  
• Some general clerical or customer service experience.  
• Ability and experience using personal computers, including word processing software such as MS Word.  Experience with spreadsheet software such as MS Excel is preferred.  
• General knowledge of modern office practices and procedures.  
• Ability to serve the public and others with business with the court in a courteous and professional manner.   Ability to learn the procedures and functions, manual and automated, of the office to which assigned.  
• Ability to understand and follow verbal and written instructions.  
• Ability to perform routine data entry at an acceptable rate of speed.  
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with court staff.  
• Ability to communicate effectively with others.     

Child Support Processing Clerk II Additional Requirements:  

• A minimum of two years of experience as a Child Support Processing Clerk I.  
• Demonstrated understanding and training in the court's automated case processing system, as well as all of the procedures, manual and automated, related to child support cases processed within the work unit or functional area to which assigned.  
• Working knowledge and ability to effectively use MassCourts or other court-used automated case management systems.  
• Ability to effectively use word processing software used by the court and the demonstrated ability to use that software to prepare documents.  
• Demonstrated ability to serve the public and others with business with the court in a courteous and professional manner.
• Demonstrated ability to provide specialized or technical information.  
• Demonstrated ability to identify problems with court documents, papers, and filings and to take appropriate action within established guidelines.  
• Demonstrated ability to exercise more independent judgment when appropriate.  
• Demonstrated ability to identify problems with court documents, papers, and filings and to take appropriate action within established guidelines.   
• demonstrated ability to function as a resource person.  
• Demonstrated ability to train employees.