Job: Legal Technician

Job Description

Job Type: Full time, Salaried

Wage: $52,556 - $65,695 /yr. 

Location: Salida, CO.

Job Description:

GENERAL STATEMENT OF DUTIES:

Conducts reviews and investigation procedures concerning child support program cases which includes locating non-custodial parents, establishing paternity of children, establishing child support and health insurance obligations, reviewing orders for possible adjustments, and enforcing and collecting child support. Establishes child support/paternity orders. Performs calculations and accounting functions necessary to establish support variances and to determine the steps necessary to resolve situations.

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS: The following duty statements are illustrative of the essential functions of the job and do not include other non-essential or marginal duties that may be required. The county reserves the right to modify or change the duties or essential functions of this job at any time.

• Conducts research concerning allegations of child support deficiencies.
• Locates person(s) obligated to pay support and traces assets involving contact with employers, relatives, and public and private agencies.
• Reviews and monitors cases in accordance with court orders and other funding regulations and County policies.
• Intensive computer usage.
• Supports departmental managers in the implementation of new policies and programs, which may come from federal, state, or local government and/or other public/private entities.
• Prepares court documents, collection correspondence and other related materials associated with a deficit in child support payments relative to court orders.
• Prepares legal actions within the parameters of the law, assists attorneys at court hearings, and testifies if necessary on behalf of the department.
• Develops plans for negotiating with absent parent to secure deficit and reinstate regularly scheduled child support payments.
• Works with courts, employers, and other agencies to secure funds in a timely manner.
• Establishes and conducts the necessary accounting processes and procedures to record and account for payments.
• Establishes and maintains working relationships with community organizations and resources as a representative of the division.
• Interprets Rules and Regulations as statutorily promulgated.
• Establishes child support/paternity orders.
• Updates information on a regular basis in Automated Child Support Enforcement Systems (ACSES).
• Performs other duties as assigned.

EDUCATION:

• Minimum Education: High school diploma or GED.
• Experience in a Human Services Agency a plus.

EXPERIENCE and RESPONSIBILITY:

Entry Level:

• 2 years full time extensive public contact.
• Supervisor provides training and detailed rules, regulations, procedures, forms, equipment and communication techniques.
• Work is closely reviewed for complete documentation and accurate child support decisions.

Journey Level:

• 3 years full time extensive public contact. One year must be at entry level in Eligibility Determination or Child Support Services in a Department of Social Services, with a successful or better Performance Evaluation.
• Instructions are received on Regulations and Policies with supervisory consultation available on the more difficult application of Child Support decisions.
• Selected cases are reviewed during the month for compliance to procedures, policies, completeness, accuracy and final decisions.

Senior Level:

• 4 years full time extensive public contact.
• 1 year must be at journey level experience in Eligibility Determination or Child Support Services in a Department of Social Services, with a successful or better Performance Evaluation.
• Work is performed independently.
• Child Support decisions are reviewed for technical accuracy and to ensure timely case processing.

SUBSTITUTION: A satisfactory completion of an Associate’s Degree or Bachelor’s Degree in Business, Behavioral Science or appropriately related field, may substitute for the required experience in extensive public contact, on a year for year basis.

REPORTING RELATIONSHIPS: This Position Reports to: Child Support Services Supervisor

This Position has Supervisory and/or Management Responsibility for: None.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES:

• Knowledge of establishment and enforcement of child support assisted by training with state and county manuals of policies and procedures.
• Knowledge of laws, legal processes and procedures, child support legislation, and associated terminology.
• Knowledge of current technology and various computer applications programs.
• Must be able to enter and obtain information from ACSES.
• Knowledge of community service resources, activities, and purpose.
• Skill in investigating and interviewing.
• Skill in teamwork with particular emphasis on problem solving.
• Ability to effectively deal with irate and erratic behavior from clients in person or on the telephone.
• Ability to prepare and present financial information, which is easy to understand.
• Ability to collect, organize and utilize relevant data to analyze and evaluate situations.
• Ability to work cooperatively with relevant professional and community-based organizations; federal, state, county, and local agencies; and private sector businesses.

SCOPE OF INTERPERSONAL CONTACTS: Relationships are with clients, absent parents, other agency staff, employers, state and local law enforcement agencies, medical community, attorneys, court personnel, legal entities, public and private agencies, federal agencies such as the IRS and Social Security Administration, and the public. Position requires the ability to extend a high degree of interpersonal skill.

MATERIAL AND EQUIPEMENT USED: Telephone, computer, printer, copy machine, fax machine and calculator and other office equipment.

WORK ENVIROMENT: Work is generally confined to a standard office environment. Noise level is generally moderate.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS: The following are some of the physical demands commonly associated with this position.

Mobility:

• Stands 15% of the time, walks 15% of the time, and sits 70% of the time.
• Maintains body equilibrium to prevent falling when walking, standing, crouching, or running on narrow, slippery, or erratically moving surfaces. Bends legs at knees to come to rest on knee or knees.
• Bends body downward and forward by bending spine at the waist, requiring full use of the lower extremities and back muscles.
• Bends body downward and forward by bending legs and spine.
• Reaches, extending hand(s) in any direction.

Lifting:

• Exerts up to 10 pounds of force occasionally or a negligible amount of force frequently to lift, carry, push, pull or otherwise move objects.

Dexterity:

• Handles, seizes, holds, grasps, turns, or otherwise works with hand or hands; fingers, picks up, pinches or otherwise works primarily with fingers rather than with the whole hand or arm.

Vision:

• The vision requirements for this position are close vision (clear at inches or less); distance vision (clear at feet or more); ability to adjust focus (ability to adjust the eye to bring an object into sharp focus).

Communications:

• Individual must be able to clearly understand the English language and be understood while speaking the English language.

Driving:

• Must be able to operate a motor vehicle and possess a valid driver’s license.

**Disclaimer: The duties and responsibilities described above are not a comprehensive list and additional tasks may be assigned to the employee, time to time; the scope of the job may change as necessitated by business demands. Click “View Application” below for more detail on this specific job.