Q: My daughter's father and I had a non-legal agreement that he'd pay $500 (cash) monthly as child support.
We were never married. Last time he gave me the $500 as child support was December 2017. He last saw my daughter January 2018. Went to court in March to file for custody/visitation and child support. We've had an ongoing case and court dates since May and our trial is in October this year. It's been months since he last gave me anything and also wants to agree to a temporary visitation schedule. What can I do so that he pays whatever he owes from these last few months?
A: Every case is different, of course, but typically, if you ask for it the court will order child support retroactively to the date that the petition for support was filed. You should contact an attorney immediately to confirm some important details, including that the correct petition was filed and served on him, and that child support is an issue to be tried at your trial date.
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.
