Collecting Child Support

Most parents financially support their children, through child support or other means. Unfortunately, there are some parents who do not take their obligations seriously and fail to provide for their children. Despite media reports about “deadbeat dads,” both parents can be guilty of neglecting their financial responsibilities.  If you find yourself in a situation where you are left as the sole supporter of your child or children, the attorneys of Spooner & Associates can help.  

Failure to Provide Child Support

We find that the failure to provide support typically occurs in two situations: 1) when there is no court order requiring support or 2) the non-supporting parent is violating a court’s order of support (a divorce order or other support order).

In the first situation, before you have a legal right to collect support, you will need to file an action requesting that the court issue an order requiring the payment of child support. If the child’s paternity is in doubt or disputed, a DNA test may be required before collecting support from the father.  Both parents will also need to provide the court with financial information to establish the correct amount of support. Courts in Georgia consider many factors such as parents’ income, costs of health insurance, medical expenses, and daycare in setting the support order. Setting the correct amount is very important since court orders typically dictate support payments until the child is 18 years old (although they can be modified by a Court if the situation changes).  Our attorneys are very experienced in child support issues, and will fight for your rights to establish the correct amount of support.