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 Caspian, MI

Do I Need a Lawyer to File for Child Support in Caspian, MI


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 MI 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 MI 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 Caspian, MI
Attorneys Title Agency
693 Capital Ave SW
Battle Creek, MI 49015
(269) 962-9873
General Practice Attorneys, Title Companies, Attorneys
Hankins Law Offices
910 W Ottawa St
Lansing, MI 48915
(517) 482-9400
Attorneys,  Criminal Law Attorneys,  Family Law Attorneys,  DUI & DWI Attorneys,  General Practice A
Fuller & Stubbs
45700 Village Blvd
Shelby Township, MI 48315
(586) 532-9100
Probate Law Attorneys, Attorneys
Glaser Matthew L Atty
2510 Capital Ave SW
Battle Creek, MI 49015
(269) 964-9035
Criminal Law Attorneys,  Divorce Attorneys,  Personal Injury Law Attorneys,  Wills, Trusts & Estate
Audra Woods
45700 Village Blvd
Shelby Township, MI 48315
(586) 532-8970
General Practice Attorneys, Attorneys, Legal Service Plans
Goidosik Morse & Van Deusen P
2510 Capital Ave SW
Battle Creek, MI 49015
(269) 213-8928
Attorneys,  Social Security & Disability Law Attorneys,  Corporation & Partnership Law Attorneys,  L
Derman William F. Jr, PLLC
305 E Cayuga St
Bellaire, MI 49615
(231) 533-8692
Attorneys,  General Practice Attorneys,  Legal Service Plans,  Real Estate Attorneys,  Family Law At
Young Graham Elsenheimer & Wendling
104 E Forrest Home Ave
Bellaire, MI 49615
(231) 533-8635
General Practice Attorneys, Attorneys, Legal Service Plans
The Clark Law Office
910 West Ottawa Street
Lansing, MI 48915
(517) 575-8564
Criminal Law Attorneys,  Family Law Attorneys,  Social Security & Disability Law Attorneys,  Workers
Salvatore D. Palombo & Associates, PC
26120 Van Dyke Ave
Center Line, MI 48015
(586) 754-8300
Criminal Law Attorneys
Struble Kenneth R
100 Country Pine Ln # 3
Battle Creek, MI 49015
(269) 979-7525
General Practice Attorneys, Attorneys, Legal Service Plans
Worden David
7341 Bernice
Center Line, MI 48015
(586) 755-7401
Attorneys
Total Attorneys - Personal Injury
PO Box 274219
Bridgewater, MI 48115
(517) 258-7400
Attorneys, Legal Service Plans
Polack Alan F
45684 Village Blvd
Shelby Township, MI 48315
(586) 532-7100
Attorneys, Legal Service Plans
Atkinson Petruska Kozma & Hart
805 Railroad Ave
Channing, MI 49815
(906) 542-6801
Insurance Attorneys,  Attorneys,  Labor & Employment Law Attorneys,  Personal Injury Law Attorneys,
Eldred Joseph E
131 Columbia Ave E # 213
Battle Creek, MI 49015
(269) 965-6661
Attorneys, Divorce Attorneys, Family Law Attorneys
Unger John W
107 E Broad St
Bellaire, MI 49615
(231) 533-6566
Civil Litigation & Trial Law Attorneys, Attorneys
O'Connell Patrick M.
153 Columbia Ave E
Battle Creek, MI 49015
(269) 964-6553
Best Interest Law
48639 Hayes Rd Suite A
Shelby Township, MI 48315
(586) 219-6454
Family Law Attorneys, Child Custody Attorneys, Divorce Attorneys, Domestic Violence Attorneys
Lebeuf & Lebeuf PLC
344 Columbia Ave W
Battle Creek, MI 49015
(269) 965-6190
Divorce Assistance,  Family Law Attorneys,  Personal Injury Law Attorneys,  Probate Law Attorneys,  
All Care Physical Therapy
25511 Van Dyke Ave Ste 200
Center Line, MI 48015
(586) 755-6000
Bankruptcy Law Attorneys, Attorneys
Weik & Associates
25511 Van Dyke Ave
Center Line, MI 48015
(586) 755-6000
Bankruptcy Law Attorneys
Brian A. Carrier
45670 Village Blvd
Shelby Township, MI 48315
(586) 566-6000
Attorneys, Legal Service Plans
Butler Mark G
7341 Bernice
Center Line, MI 48015
(586) 755-5625
Attorneys, Legal Service Plans
12Law.com   |  NASHVILLE, TN USA   |  CONTACT US