Escondido, CA asked in Child Custody, Child Support and Family Law for California

Q: How likely is it for a father to get custody of his children if he has not paid court ordered child support?

The children are 8 and 12 and the father has never been a big part of their life. Has never showed an interest in having custody of the children. Has only paid for court ordered child support 5 months in 8 years.

1 Lawyer Answer
Joseph Torri
Joseph Torri
Answered
  • Riverside, CA
  • Licensed in California

A: The more significant reason is most likely not being involved and never showing an interest in the children. The children are older now and that has some weight. The court may order therapy, etc, prior to ordering custody. The court may order supervised visits to begin a visitation schedule. These cases require a fact-sensitive analysis. Simply not paying child support is not a strong position to prevent custody.

1 user found this answer helpful

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.