It can be tough to be a parent. Providing for your children can get more expensive as they grow older, and because of that expense, it is important to ask your ex for financial assistance. Your ex should take on the same responsibility as you do when it comes to providing financial support for your child. Court ordered child support in Utah is the best way to ensure a non-custodial parent fulfills his or her obligations toward their children. For help getting started, SLC, Utah family law attorney, David Pedrazas, has years of experience helping families in Utah with child support related issues. Give the Law Office of David Pedrazas a call today for a Legal Case Review.
If are wondering how to get child support, this checklist will guide you through the process. It will make requesting and receiving child support payments easier.
Steps to Get Child Support
- Locate your ex: If you’re wondering how do you get child support started, first you need to locate the other parent. Get their home address or employer’s address so that the court can order support payments. If you do not know the whereabouts of your ex, some states offer free assistance in finding him or her.
- Establish Paternity: If you were not married to your ex when your child was born, it is important to verify the father’s paternity in order to make his fatherhood legal. DNA testing may be used, or, if the father is willing, he simply needs to sign a paper acknowledging he is the father of your child. The courts must see established paternity before they will help in issues of court-ordered child support in Utah.
- Get a Court Order: Next, you will need to get a court order for child support. The court will help you with the terms of the child support payments. If you and the other parent can agree on your own terms, the court will not have to get involved. However, it is important to note that these terms are not legally binding, and if the other parent does not pay child support, a court would not be able to enforce the terms of that agreement. This can make getting child support payments much more difficult than filing a motion to establish child support. But if you have a court order and your ex does not pay, the court will impose fees and penalties on your ex. This is how to get child support in Utah. Utah’s child support services agency will help enforce the court order in several different ways. Wondering how to request a hearing for child support? First file a petition with the court. The court will determine the amount of child support you will be awarded.
- Ask for Payment Adjustments: Once a court order is issued, you can ask for the terms to be adjusted—either increased or decreased. This will be determined by your personal circumstances. This adjustment is called a child support modification and will require you to prove a need for the change. This could be due to a job loss, a medical condition, changes in your child’s tuition, etc.
Get Help Receiving Child Support in Utah with the Help of Salt Lake City, Utah Family Law Attorney David Pedrazas
This child support checklist should get you started on your path to receiving child support in Utah. Providing for your children is difficult, especially when you are parenting alone. One of the toughest challenges a single parent can face is trying to get the other parent to pay the child support they owe. Both family lawyers and the courts understand that parenting is tough, and they will help you secure the child support you deserve. If you need help with court-ordered child support not being paid, contact SLC Utah divorce attorney David Pedrazas. Our experienced Salt Lake City Utah family law attorney can help you secure child support you and your family deserve.