Expecting a child can be a wonderful and highly anticipated event for the parents and other family members. Preparations for the new arrival often begin to take place almost immediately. Picking out baby names, nursery colors and finding suitable and affordable childcare can be an exciting and sometimes overwhelming task. For some Connecticut parents, the situation may not be one of excitement, as an impending divorce or the breaking off of the relationship with the other parent may overshadow the joy of the upcoming birth. For parents who are no longer living together, the primary caregiver may seek child support and/or a custody agreement to set visitation guidelines and to help ease the financial burden that raising a child can create.
A 45-year-old man in another state has been ordered to pay back child support for a child who is not his biological child. A paternity test disqualified the man as having any chance of fathering this particular child, but his home state says he is still obligated to pay the back child support. According to the state code in which he resides, an alleged parent is still responsible for child support payments until paternity is established, regardless if the test proves that the individual is or is not the father.
The now-married father of three claims that he knew nothing of the court order from 2003 that obligated him to make the payments until he was served papers by his local deputy last year. The man’s ex-girlfriend and her attorney claim that he disregarded a subpoena during the original court proceedings regarding the child support and had one payment taken out of his check, which was never disputed. The 16 years of back child support amount to $65,000, which the defendant will have to pay or face time in jail.
Connecticut child support laws can be difficult to understand and navigate. Obtaining a child support order or amending one can be complicated and time consuming, especially if both parties are not in agreement. The expertise of an experienced Maryland family law attorney can be invaluable in helping those in need of legal guidance understand parental rights and obligations under state law.
Source: aol.com, “Texas man ordered to pay $65,000 in child support for kid that isn’t his”, Alex Lasker, July 24, 2017