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 Orland, ME

Do I Need a Lawyer to File for Child Support in Orland, ME


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 ME 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 ME 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 Orland, ME
Gates Gordon
110 Main St # 1300
Saco, ME 04072
(207) 284-9999
Attorneys, Legal Service Plans
Diane Edgecomb Law Office
301 Main St # 3
Saco, ME 04072
(207) 571-9450
Attorneys, General Practice Attorneys, Legal Service Plans
Diane Edgecomb
86 High St
Saco, ME 04072
(207) 571-9450
Attorneys, General Practice Attorneys
Kimball L. Kenway PC
110 Main St
Saco, ME 04072
(207) 571-9116
Attorneys, Legal Service Plans
Cote Eric
241 Main St
Saco, ME 04072
(207) 282-9012
Attorneys, Legal Service Plans
Cumler Robert B
21 Friendship St
Waldoboro, ME 04572
(207) 832-7546
Attorneys, General Practice Attorneys, Legal Service Plans
Webb John Atty
110 Main St
Saco, ME 04072
(207) 283-6400
Attorneys, Legal Service Plans
Purdy Daniel C
13 Medomak Ter # C
Waldoboro, ME 04572
(207) 832-6315
Attorneys, Legal Service Plans
Cabral Daniel C
74 Beach St
Saco, ME 04072
(207) 282-5985
Attorneys, General Practice Attorneys, Legal Service Plans, Title Companies
Nelson Alan S
37 Beach St
Saco, ME 04072
(207) 282-5966
Attorneys
Prescott Dana
37 Beach St
Saco, ME 04072
(207) 282-5966
Attorneys, Legal Service Plans
Audiffred James L
374 Main St
Saco, ME 04072
(207) 284-5948
Attorneys, Legal Service Plans
Barry J Hobbins Law Offices
74 Beach St
Saco, ME 04072
(207) 282-5643
Attorneys,  General Practice Attorneys,  Legal Service Plans,  Title Companies
Michael Ayotte Law Offices
24 Beach St
Saco, ME 04072
(207) 284-5559
Attorneys, General Practice Attorneys
Cumler Robert
PO Box K
Waldoboro, ME 04572
(207) 594-5507
Attorneys
Cohen & Cohen
898 Main St
Waldoboro, ME 04572
(207) 832-5363
Attorneys
Martin R Michael
29 Common St # 101
Saco, ME 04072
(207) 282-5300
Attorneys, General Practice Attorneys, Legal Service Plans
Levis S James Jr
338 Main St
Saco, ME 04072
(207) 283-3224
Attorneys, General Practice Attorneys
Ingraham Bryce W
338 Main St
Saco, ME 04072
(207) 283-3224
Attorneys, Title Companies, Legal Service Plans
Boyle Celine M
199 Main St
Saco, ME 04072
(207) 774-3199
Attorneys
Schroeter Peter W
199 Main St
Saco, ME 04072
(207) 774-3199
Attorneys
ANDREWS BRUCE CAMPBELL, PA
45 Kalers Corner St.
Waldoboro, ME 04572
(207) 790-2110
General Practice Attorneys,  Attorneys,  Criminal Law Attorneys,  Family Law Attorneys,  Business La
Heather Kallis
644 Main St Ste 1102
Saco, ME 04072
(207) 282-2090
Attorneys
Wrobleski Jr Joseph M
241 Main St
Saco, ME 04072
(207) 284-1976
Attorneys, Legal Service Plans
12Law.com   |  NASHVILLE, TN USA   |  CONTACT US