Filing to obtain child support should be a straightforward and simple process, and sometimes it is. In some cases, however, it's more than just filing some paperwork. Family law expert Law Office of Gordon N. Shayne reveals what you could generally expect when you file for child support.
If you want to establish a child support order, you need to apply for CSS or Child Support Services. You have to complete and return your application to their local office. If you're currently receiving Medicaid or TANF, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, you won't have to pay anything when you file.
Otherwise, you might be charged a small fee. If needed, the CSS would help you establish paternity. If you don't know who your child's father is, or if you do but don't know where he is currently living, CSS would also help you determine his whereabouts.
Once you've gotten a child support order, the CSS would also help in enforcing it and assist in making certain that you receive the payments in a convenient and quick manner.
Once the CSS has approved your application, they'll set you up with a child support case worker to help you establish paternity (if needed) or locating your child's father, getting a support order approved by the court, and receiving payments. However, you should know that this entire process would be lengthy.
You won't obtain an order overnight, and you might not even receive payments for a couple of months because of the many steps that you would need to go through first. Put simply, you need to patient and be prepared to wait.
It's crucial to know that the moment you decide to file for child support, you also open you and your child's life to the father because you'll be acknowledging his paternity officially.
But this doesn't necessarily have to be a bad thing because even if you don't get along with the father or ended things on bad terms, he might become a committed and caring parent to your child.
Likewise, keep in mind that child support and custody or visitations are different issues in the family court's eyes. Hire a lawyer to help you with your case.