On behalf of Stange Law Firm, PC posted in child support on Thursday, March 9, 2017.
A Missouri mother who has a child and who is not together with the father is likely be eligible to receive child support payments. This is the case regardless of whether or not the parents were ever married. While filing for child support should be simple, there are certain steps that a mother who has custody of the child will have to follow.
First, the mother will need to contact the local Office of Child Support Enforcement. This agency can help enforce child support orders especially if the father is hesitant to make the payments. If the mother was never married to the father but knows who he is, paternity will need to be established. If the mother does not know where the father is currently located, there are agencies that can help track him down, like the Federal Parent Locator Service.
Parents seeking child support should be aware that the process can be lengthy, especially if the other parent has to be located. Further, parents who are paying child support are most likely to be eligible to exercise their visitation rights. If they decide to seek joint custody, a child custody dispute may arise.
When a parent is seeking child support from the other parent, a child support formula is used to determine how much the other parent should pay. This often takes certain financial circumstances into account. A family law attorney may help file the paperwork needed to seek child support. If a child support order is in place but the other parent refuses to pay, the attorney may determine what options that parent has when seeking to have the support order enforced.
