Both parents have an obligation to provide support to their children. In Missouri, child support can be established by the Court usually through a Paternity Case or by the State through an Administrative Child Support Hearing. The result you receive can differ greatly depending on which process your case is pursued through.
Whether you are the custodial parent or the non-custodial parent, the Attorneys at the Zolman Law Firm in St. Louis can assist you in presenting the best case possible when dealing with both the Court system and an Administrative Hearing.
When dealing with child support cases, it is important to understand the two types that can occur.
Administrative
Administrative Child Support is handled by the Division of Child Support Enforcement and will only address Child Support and Health Insurance for the child. DCSE cares only about protecting the state from paying funds to support a child and to provide insurance for the child. They do not make any arrangements for a parenting plan.
Even if you intend to take the Administrative route, it is still well worth your money to pay for an experienced family law attorney to review the calculation for child support.
Judicial
Judicial Child Support is the process referred to by the Court as a Paternity Case. Within this process the Court will award Child Support, put in place a Parenting Plan with specific dates and times outlined for the exchange of custody, make sure the child is covered by health insurance (if it is available to either parent at a fair rate), make provisions for payment of out of pocket expenses for the child, and detail which parent will be claiming the child as a tax dependent.
If you have an existing child support order and you have not received credit for all payments made, or you believe the minor child is emancipated or that your child support obligation should cease, our attorneys can assist you in reconciling the support records or pursuing a declaration of emancipation if appropriate.
Call the Zolman Law Firm in St. Louis for a free 30 minute consultation to discuss your child support case today.