Raising a child can be a remarkably stressful and expensive task to undertake for a couple. Fortunately, even if your relationship with your partner fails, the courts can help ensure that your child is still receiving resources from both parents through the use of child support. If you only have a limited understanding about child support, you may better understand your rights after having these questions answered.

Is It A Requirement To Have Been Married To Get Child Support?

There are some individuals that are under the erroneous assumption that they need to have been married to their partner in order to qualify for child support payments. Fortunately, the courts recognize that many children are born out of wedlock, and as a result, it is unnecessary to have been married.

Before child support can be mandated, it may be necessary to prove the identity of the father. This is often needed when your former partner is contesting that they fathered the child. Luckily, this can be done through the use of DNA testing, which the courts can order the suspected father to undergo. While this may seem like a lot to go through, it can be essential to receiving the child support that your child is entitled to.

What If Your Former Partner Stops Paying Their Child Support?

It can be an unfortunate fact that some individuals may stop making their child support payments. If you have been unfortunate enough to have encountered this problem, it is important to understand that there are steps that can be taken to compel the other parent to pay their fair share. This can be done by filing a petition with the courts noting that child support payments have ceased. If it is determined that the other parent has been unlawfully withholding child support payments, they can be held in contempt of court if they continue to refuse to pay. Additionally, it can be possible for their wages to be garnished. When a person's wages are garnished, a portion of each paycheck will be withheld until the back child support has been paid.

In some instances, your partner may attempt to have their child support payments decreased. This can be possible by claiming financial hardships that make it impossible for them to make these payments. Luckily, you will have an opportunity to contest this request to ensure that your child still receives the support they deserve. However, this can be a complicated process, which means you will want to make sure that you are represented by an experienced attorney, like Law Offices of Lynda Latta, LLC, to help guide you through the process of challenging this request.