Q: I live in TN. Is it necessary to obtain an attorney for child support court, benefits? I am the custodial parent.
I am the mother and filed for support. I dont have an attorney and didnt know i needed one until i rcvd a letter stating that the state will have a rep there but not rep. Me. Is it really necessary to obtain an attorney? What if he has one?
A: I assume you filed for support by going through the local child support enforcement unit of the District Attorney's office. If you are receiving any state assistance, the State will require that the child support be paid through the state ( to help cover what the state pays you). The child support attorney from the D.A.'s office will assist you in getting a support obligation established, or in enforcing that order, but's that all they do. In other words, they won't negotiate parenting time or decision making issues - they just deal with child support. Your question doesn't say whether you are married ( and thus need a divorce) or whether the child was born out of wedlock. These other issues can be very important also, but if you are just dealing with the sole question of child support, the State's lawyer will help you because your concerns are the same as the States'- that is, the father should pay to support his child.
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