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 59018

Do I Need a Lawyer to File for Child Support in Zip Code 59018


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 MT 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 MT 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 59018
Montoya Elisabeth
233 Edelweiss Dr # 10A
Bozeman, MT 59718
(406) 582-9676
Attorneys, Construction Law Attorneys
Refling Dorie Benesh
233 Edelweiss Dr Ste 101A
Bozeman, MT 59718
(406) 582-9676
Attorneys, Legal Service Plans
Hud John
670 S Ferguson Ave # 2
Bozeman, MT 59718
(406) 587-8989
Attorneys
HUD Law Office PC Atty
670 S Ferguson Ave Ste 2
Bozeman, MT 59718
(406) 587-8989
Attorneys, General Practice Attorneys
Garrity Michael G
3825 Valley Commons Dr # 6
Bozeman, MT 59718
(406) 582-8822
Attorneys
Avignone Alfred F
3825 Valley Commons Dr # 6
Bozeman, MT 59718
(406) 582-8822
Attorneys, Criminal Law Attorneys, General Practice Attorneys
Banick Lisa A
3825 Valley Commons Dr # 6
Bozeman, MT 59718
(406) 582-8822
Attorneys, Construction Law Attorneys, Legal Service Plans
Dockins William S
3825 Valley Commons Dr # 5
Bozeman, MT 59718
(406) 586-8616
Attorneys,  Wills, Trusts & Estate Planning Attorneys,  Corporation & Partnership Law Attorneys,  B
Roth Daniel J
2417 W Main St # 2A
Bozeman, MT 59718
(406) 586-8615
Attorneys, Insurance Attorneys
Fulton Angus
21 Apex Dr
Bozeman, MT 59718
(406) 587-8486
Attorneys, Legal Service Plans
Filz Tim Atty
510 S 23rd Ave
Bozeman, MT 59718
(406) 587-8486
Attorneys, Legal Service Plans
Christensen Fulton Filz P
21 Apex Dr
Bozeman, MT 59718
(406) 587-8486
Attorneys, Wills, Trusts & Estate Planning Attorneys, Legal Service Plans
Christopher K. Williams - Avignone, Banick & Williams, PLLC
3825 Valley Commons Dr Suite 6
Bozeman, MT 59718
(406) 586-8330
Personal Injury Law Attorneys,  Attorneys,  Criminal Law Attorneys,  Automobile Accident Attorneys,
Kommers James M
517 S 22nd Ave # 5
Bozeman, MT 59718
(406) 587-7717
Accident & Property Damage Attorneys, Insurance Attorneys, Attorneys
Kasting Kauffman & Mersen P.C
716 So 20th Av Suite 101
Bozeman, MT 59718
(866) 435-6395
Probate Law Attorneys,  Attorneys,  Criminal Law Attorneys,  Family Law Attorneys,  Divorce Attorney
Lund Law
502 S 19th Ave # 306
Bozeman, MT 59718
(406) 586-6254
Attorneys, Legal Service Plans
Quinn Robert J
2405 W Main St # 4
Bozeman, MT 59718
(406) 586-5956
Attorneys, Legal Service Plans
Combs C Bruce
1940 W Dickerson St # 206
Bozeman, MT 59718
(406) 586-5909
Attorneys
Cbruce Combs PC
1940 W Dickerson St Ste 206
Bozeman, MT 59718
(406) 586-5909
Attorneys, Wills, Trusts & Estate Planning Attorneys, Legal Service Plans
Black Marjorie
2304 W Main St # 3
Bozeman, MT 59718
(406) 582-5800
Admiralty & Maritime Law Attorneys, Attorneys, Wills, Trusts & Estate Planning Attorneys
Christoffersen Laura Attorney
20 Broadway St
Culbertson, MT 59218
(406) 787-5700
Attorneys, General Practice Attorneys, Legal Service Plans
Delmue Jason A
602 S Ferguson Ave # 5
Bozeman, MT 59718
(406) 585-5598
Attorneys
J Collen Herrington
602 S Ferguson Ave Ste 5
Bozeman, MT 59718
(406) 585-5598
Attorneys, Construction Law Attorneys, Real Estate Attorneys
Reader Margaret M
602 S Ferguson Ave # 5
Bozeman, MT 59718
(406) 585-5598
Attorneys
12Law.com   |  NASHVILLE, TN USA   |  CONTACT US