My daughter is now 22 years old. I was never married to her father. He was in the Army and it was a fling. I ended up pregnant. He lives in another state. Paternity was not proven until my daughter was 13 years old. Her father kept dodging court requests from Michigan. The courts have his social security number and are able to figure out where he is through his employment. He has never met my daughter, nor ever acknowledge her as his child. He currently lives in Tennessee, I believe.
The Michigan Court ordered him to pay $272/month in child support. This support was only to begin at the time paternity was proven. So, for 13 years I supported her as a single parent. I went to college, held jobs and pretty much lived on school loans.
This man payed support here and there for 5 years. Sometimes we would receive a check for $18 or sometimes $118, and some months we received nothing at all. Just from time she was age 13 to age 18, he is in arrears over $2,000. I keep being reassured by Friend of the Court that "he will be held accountable to pay this child support to you". I have received nothing. I am having to repay those student loans that I used to help support my daughter all those years. I understand that is my responsibility...but it would sure be helpful to have that child support arrearage paid up. I never understood WHY he wasn't responsible to pay for the first 13 years of my daughters life. If paternity was proven at age 13, it must certainly prove that he was her father at conception. Do I have any legal avenues I can follow regarding 13 years with no child support? How do I get the support he still owes? I have asked our Friend of the Court here and they told me "it is up to the state in which he lives to enforce the child support payments to Michigan". I have asked for the name and address of the court or attorney in the state where he lives. Our Friend of Court told me, "you are not allowed to contact them directly, contact must be made through our office". Unfortunately, they must be overwhelmed with cases and interstate cases are more difficult they say. I have not had any kind of help in this enforcement.
Any thoughts and advice would be sincerely appreciated!
The Michigan Court ordered him to pay $272/month in child support. This support was only to begin at the time paternity was proven. So, for 13 years I supported her as a single parent. I went to college, held jobs and pretty much lived on school loans.
This man payed support here and there for 5 years. Sometimes we would receive a check for $18 or sometimes $118, and some months we received nothing at all. Just from time she was age 13 to age 18, he is in arrears over $2,000. I keep being reassured by Friend of the Court that "he will be held accountable to pay this child support to you". I have received nothing. I am having to repay those student loans that I used to help support my daughter all those years. I understand that is my responsibility...but it would sure be helpful to have that child support arrearage paid up. I never understood WHY he wasn't responsible to pay for the first 13 years of my daughters life. If paternity was proven at age 13, it must certainly prove that he was her father at conception. Do I have any legal avenues I can follow regarding 13 years with no child support? How do I get the support he still owes? I have asked our Friend of the Court here and they told me "it is up to the state in which he lives to enforce the child support payments to Michigan". I have asked for the name and address of the court or attorney in the state where he lives. Our Friend of Court told me, "you are not allowed to contact them directly, contact must be made through our office". Unfortunately, they must be overwhelmed with cases and interstate cases are more difficult they say. I have not had any kind of help in this enforcement.
Any thoughts and advice would be sincerely appreciated!
I still do not understand why he's not accountable for her first 13 years, but I guess my lesson is learned. Do you happen to know if I have any way to get the arrearage of over $2,000 that he never paid? I married for the first time a year ago. My daughter is now planning to get married next summer. I am currently paying off college loans I took out. This money would be very helpful to me and my daughter.