My baby is 4 mo’s old, I live in MA, and I’ve never asked the father to be an equal participant in taking care of my child. But, I do think he should help provide for him. How do I go about making this happen?
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You can either go to your state’s Attorney General and have them start the process (they will find him and have his employer garnish wages from his paycheck, etc.). You can also if you have the resources find a family lawyer and have them file on your behalf. If would be less costly if you have information for the lawyer such as his ssn, address, place of employment, etc. so that you do not have to pay for an investigator. Be aware that if you start this process he will also have the right (support and visitation are independent of each other in most states)to visit the child and to always know your most current address and you will be bound by the court to update your address if you move until the child is 18. At the end of the day, you know this person and you should weight the pros and cons of having him in your child’s life. The immediate response that a child should always have the father in his/her life is not always true if the father is not a good role model for the child. If he is not, then not having his involvement/support may be the best option for you and your child and the future of both of you and of future children and relationships. If you do have a court order created make sure that you plan for the future and that you have think of as many other issues such as health care, school drop/pick ups, out of country travel, etc.
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Child support is based on the paternity of the child, if you know who the father of your child is you can ask the court in your area to grant child support to you to buy the child the things it needs. Be advised that the person you are seeking support from can ask the court for a paternity test to verify that the child is actually his.
Go to the Job and Family Services department for your county(also known as the welfare agency) and they can help you obtain support for you and your child. You may also be eligible for no- or low-cost health insurance, if your baby’s father cannot provide insurance through his workplace.
You would need to hire a family law lawyer and make a claim for child support with a court in your jurisdiction.
Go to family court. If his DNA matches he will be forced to provide equally for the child, assuming he has a job.
like labo said… get a family lawyer.
and the fact you were not married to the father has absolutely nothing to do with it. He still has the same responsabilities to the child
It depends on the laws of the state in which you live. You’ll probably need a lawyer to figure it all out. Find one you like and good luck!