12Law Arrow 12Law Arrow  Easy Questions  
12Law Arrow 12Law Arrow Instant Legal Documents
 
 
FINANCIAL & MARITAL

Cohabitation Agreement coming soon!
Separation Agreement coming soon!
No-Fault Divorce coming soon!
Bankruptcy coming soon!
 
 

Do I Need a Lawyer to File for Child Support in Zip Code 01886

Do I Need a Lawyer to File for Child Support in Zip Code 01886


You may not control all the events that happen to you, but you can decide not to be reduced by them.
 
- Maya Angelou


In many scenarios it is not required to have a lawyer to file for child support. You can file for child support yourself by filing the appropriate forms at your local Probate and Family Court.

You can also get orders for: 1) protection from abuse; 2) establishing paternity; 3) custody and visitation; 4) divorce; and 5) modification of an existing child support order if circumstances have changed. After you file your complaint, you may need to get it served by a sheriff or a constable. While there may be filing fees involved, you may be able to get them waived if your income is low or if you are on public assistance.

Many judges are patient and understanding with plaintiffs who do not have a lawyer. Child support is usually a standard calculation based on expenses and income and the court can help in enforcing the support collection.The federal Family Support Act of 1988 required every state to establish numerical child support guidelines. The guidelines are designed to overcome three of the persistent problems in the award of child support: 1) insufficient levels of support; 2) inconsistency of criteria used by judges; and 3) inefficiency in the adjudication of child support. They also serve to make the process more straightforward for custodial parents seeking child support without a lawyer.

The state guidelines are designed to balance the child's needs and the non-custodial parents' ability to pay. In most states, the basic child support obligation is calculated by combining the incomes of the parents and multiplying that figure by the percentages set forth in the guidelines. These percentages vary according to the number of children. This number, the total child support obligation due, is then assigned to the parents according to the proportion of their individual contributions to the parents' total income. The guidelines may be modified to award additional support for 1) child-care expenses; 2) maintenance of health and life insurance, or reimbursement of health-care expenses; 3) private school and college tuition; and 4) child-care expenses for parents seeking work.

Courts have the discretion to deviate from the guidelines for unique circumstances such as: 1) educational needs of either parent; 2) the needs of other children supported by the noncustodial parent; 3) extraordinary expenses required for the noncustodial parent to visit their children. In most cases, child support is awarded based on wages of the noncustodial parent reported on income tax returns.

Support is based on parenthood not marriage and may be awarded during or after a marriage, in a divorce proceeding, or in a separate support proceeding whether or not the parties have ever been married. The proceeding is usually relatively simple, because the issues are generally limited to the application of guidelines percentages to the income of the parents. In most states, the court will order that the child support be deducted from the noncustodial parent's wages by their employer and transmitted automatically to the custodial parent.

If the noncustodial parent falls behind on child support payments, there are many enforcement vehicles available in most states. These include income garnishing (deducting money from the noncustodial parent's wages), making a negative report to credit reporting agencies, collecting past-due child support from lottery prizes, intercepting tax refunds, seizing property (e.g. real estate and bank accounts), etc.

Many states have a parent locator service. If the noncustodial parent lives in a different state, the Uniform Reciprocal Enforcement of Support Act ("URESA") or a comparable statuteprovides for interstate collection of child support.

Transfers of assets to avoid payment of child support can often be set aside by a court. Furthermore, if the court determines that a parent transferred away resources to avoid child support obligations, that could form the basis for a finding of willful violation of a court order and result in a jail sentence.

Contact your local child support enforcement agency for more information.

If you are the noncustodial parent who is faced with child support that is more than you can pay, it may be possible to get the support order lowered to a more manageable level, especially if circumstances have changed.

Only you can decide if hiring a lawyer is right for you. Check out 12Law.com for listings of lawyers in your neighborhood.
 
Personalize & Print a Free MA Last Will Create This Document
Page 1
Page 2
Page 3
Page 4
Page 5
Page 6
Page 7
Page 8
Page 9
Page 10
 
Personalize & Print a Free MA Living Will Create This Document
Page 1
Page 2
Page 3
Page 4
Page 5
Page 6
Page 7
Page 8
Related Legal Services near Zip Code 01886
Wallace Edward F Law Office
270 Littleton Rd Ste 22
Westford, MA 01886
(978) 589-9995
Attorneys,  Accident & Property Damage Attorneys,  Personal Injury Law Attorneys,  General Practice
The Mediation Lawyers
270 Littleton Rd. Unit 22
Westford, MA 01886
(978) 589-9914
Arbitration & Mediation Attorneys
Angela Harkness
285 Littleton Rd
Westford, MA 01886
(978) 692-9170
General Practice Attorneys, Attorneys, Legal Service Plans
Robert J Carnevale PC
13 Baldwin Road
Westford, MA 01886
(978) 458-4831
Divorce Attorneys,  Estate Planning Attorneys,  Family Law Attorneys,  General Practice Attorneys,  
Haskard Law Offices
323 Littleton Rd
Westford, MA 01886
(978) 692-4500
Attorneys, General Practice Attorneys
Hanrahan Justin M
11 Pierce Ave
Westford, MA 01886
(978) 467-4230
Attorneys
Mc Carthy A Justin
285 Littleton Rd Ste 11
Westford, MA 01886
(978) 692-3211
Attorneys, Legal Service Plans
Granger Michele L
285 Littleton Rd Ste 11
Westford, MA 01886
(978) 692-3211
Attorneys, Legal Service Plans
Balas Alphen & Santos, P.C.
200 Littleton Rd
Westford, MA 01886
(978) 692-3107
Estate Planning Attorneys, Attorneys, Probate Law Attorneys, Wills, Trusts & Estate Planning Attorne
Perkins & Anctil
6 Lyberty Way # 201
Westford, MA 01886
(978) 496-2000
Bankruptcy Law Attorneys, Attorneys
Novick & Meyers
196 Main St
Westford, MA 01886
(978) 692-1574
Divorce Attorneys, Legal Service Plans, Attorneys, Family Law Attorneys
Bordes Cormac
319 Littleton Rd
Westford, MA 01886
(978) 392-0660
General Practice Attorneys, Attorneys, Real Estate Attorneys
Robert Carnevale
13 Baldwin Rd
Westford, MA 01886
(978) 580-0214
Personal Injury Law Attorneys, Medical Malpractice Attorneys
Holmes & Associates Attys
234 Littleton Rd
Westford, MA 01886
(978) 692-0036
General Practice Attorneys, Attorneys, Legal Service Plans
Claudia Hennen Law Offices
288 Littleton Rd Ste 12
Westford, MA 01886
(978) 692-0024
General Practice Attorneys, Attorneys, Legal Service Plans
Injury Law Center
270 Littleton Rd
Westford, MA 01886
(978) 851-0021
General Practice Attorneys, Attorneys
12Law.com   |  NASHVILLE, TN USA   |  CONTACT US