A method used in administering and enforcing laws in many areas, especially regarding benefits, including Social Security and many child support agencies. Administrative agencies make orders directly, such as for child support, rather than working through the court system. If individuals protest an agency’s order, ruling, or decision, they can ask for an administrative hearing, often held before an administrative law judge, to review the case. These hearings are (perhaps deceptively) informal; witnesses may be called, but parties often have no legal representation, even though the resulting administrative order may have substantial effects on the persons involved. Procedure generally allows for the order to be further reviewed within the agency or in court if desired.