Philadelphia, PA asked in Family Law, Child Custody and Child Support for Pennsylvania

Q: He is not on the birth certif. We don't have any court ordered visits or sup. Can I not send her to visit until he pays?

We've never been married or lived together after she was born. I've been supporting her by myself for 3 yrs. I let her go for e/o weekend visits since she was a little over 1 yr old, she will be 3 this month. I am willing to receive less a month than would be required by law. Can I hold visits until he starts paying support? If we can't work this outside of court will that hurt me if we do go to court?

1 Lawyer Answer
Kathryn Hilbush
Kathryn Hilbush
Answered
  • Divorce Lawyer
  • Media, PA
  • Licensed in Pennsylvania

A: You don't have to allow the father to see your daughter without a court order. I would think that suddenly holding her back from him after you've been allowing alternating weekends for so long, with no reason other than his failure to pay support, may work against you in custody court. In PA, child support and custody are supposed to be separate and apart from each other. I suggest that you schedule a consultation with an experienced family law attorney in your area to discuss your options.

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