If you are the custodian of a minor child (i.e. parent, aunt, uncle, grandparent, court-appointed guardian, or someone else caring for a child), and have filed a court order for child support, there are a few things you should know in terms of when you should begin receiving it. The first thing the courts will need to determine, however, is that you are, in fact, entitled to collect it. If you are, a general child support order should be established within 90-180 days, according to the Maryland Department of Human Services.
Now, there are some factors that could delay the processing of your child support order and we have outlined what some of these are for you below:
- The noncustodial parent lives out of state. Although the courts have a way of locating a parent who lives out of state, it can take longer to get your child support order processed when these are the circumstances you are dealing with.
- The noncustodial parent cannot be located and served with a summons. If you aren’t sure where your child’s noncustodial parent is currently living and the courts are struggling to locate them, it can delay in them being notified that you are ordering them to provide you with child support.
- The noncustodial parent is incarcerated. When your child’s other parent is locked up and isn’t bringing in any income, it is often difficult to get a child support order established.
- The child’s noncustodial parent failed to appear for a settlement conference or a court hearing. When one parent fails to show up to a scheduled court hearing, these meetings can be rescheduled for a later date which only means you will have to wait longer before the actual child support order can be created and enforced.
- The courts are having problems verifying income. In order for a child support order to be established, the courts need to determine how much your child’s noncustodial parent can afford to pay you in support, though this issue is generally governed by the Child Support Statute, that requires use of a set of guidelines for payment of support primarily based upon gross income of the parents. However, if they are having difficulty determining just how much this is, then it can delay the processing of your order.
But, if both parents are willing to work with one another and agree to provide all the required information when the case is initiated, then the Maryland Department of Human Services says that it “can be registered more quickly and proceed to a hearing or agreement quickly.” Unfortunately, this doesn’t always happen when one of the circumstances mentioned above exists or one parent may choose to contest the order.
When should I seek help from a Rockville, MD child support lawyer?
If you find that you are having difficulty getting your paperwork filed, or have been served with papers pursuing an assessment of your child support obligations, whether an initial determination of a medication of support, or your request for child support has been delayed for an extensive period of time, it might be a good idea to contact one of our Rockville, MD child custody attorneys at Barkley & Kennedy. Our experienced child support lawyers have the skill and ability to look into your case and find out what might be interfering with your child support order or assessing what your child support obligations under the law will be. At our firm, we understand how important it is for you to receive the child support or pay the appropriate amount so that you can provide for your child inconformity with the law on child support.
The truth is, taking care of a child on one income or with limited income if you have someone helping you can be extremely challenging which is why it is important you begin getting the financial help you and your child deserve. If you are not the custodial parent and are not paying support, your child needs your assistance and this obligation should not be ignored or circumvented. If you would like to schedule an initial consultation where you will be given the opportunity to sit down with an attorney to learn more about how we can assist you in getting a child support order established, call us now at 301-251-6600.
You can reach Barkley & Kennedy at:
51 Monroe Street, #1407
Rockville, MD 20850
301-251-6600
