Q: I have been served child support papers. What is my next step?
Me and my wife are separated but not legally.
A:
You should gather any records you have regarding health insurance for the child, child care expenses that allow you to go to work (babysitter, day care or summer camp, for example), and documentation of your income.
You should educate yourself on NC child support law. Here is the child support enforcement website. http://www.ncchildsupport.com/parents.jsp
the website has child support calculators. There is a strong presumption that the court will use the calculator to determine the amount of child support under NC child support guidelines. If you do not agree with the amount, you should consult with an attorney to see if you have grounds to deviate from the guideline amount.
Any, by the way, you don't have to file anything in NC to be separated. If you and your wife are living apart and either one of you has the intent to remain separate and apart, then you are legally separated.
Justia Ask a Lawyer is a forum for consumers to get answers to basic legal questions. Any information sent through Justia Ask a Lawyer is not secure and is done so on a non-confidential basis only.
The use of this website to ask questions or receive answers does not create an attorney–client relationship between you and Justia, or between you and any attorney who receives your information or responds to your questions, nor is it intended to create such a relationship. Additionally, no responses on this forum constitute legal advice, which must be tailored to the specific circumstances of each case. You should not act upon information provided in Justia Ask a Lawyer without seeking professional counsel from an attorney admitted or authorized to practice in your jurisdiction. Justia assumes no responsibility to any person who relies on information contained on or received through this site and disclaims all liability in respect to such information.
Justia cannot guarantee that the information on this website (including any legal information provided by an attorney through this service) is accurate, complete, or up-to-date. While we intend to make every attempt to keep the information on this site current, the owners of and contributors to this site make no claims, promises or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness or adequacy of the information contained in or linked to from this site.
