Establishing Child Support Article

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Establishing child support

Establishing child support in Los Angeles

Author: Warren R Shiell

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Establishing a child support order in Los Angeles
Warren R. Shiell, Esq., Attorney at law
www.la-lamilylaw.com

What is a Summons and Complaint?

A Summons and Complaint is a legal document used to establish paternity (the child's father), child support and medical support.

What is a proposed judgment?

A proposed judgment is what a parent or the local child support agency on their behalf is asking the court to order.

How will I be notified if a Summons and Complaint is filed against me?

You will be served (given) the Summons and Complaint personally, or sometimes someone you know will be served on your behalf. Before serving you the papers, a local child support agency may send you a courtesy letter that informs you of the complaint. The letter tells you that you can pick up the complaint at the child support office rather than being served at your home or workplace.

What should I do when I am served?

You have 30 days to respond from the date you were served. There are several ways to respond you may:

File an answer. If you disagree with any part of the proposed judgment you must file an Answer to Complaint with the court within 30 days. The forms are included with the complaint. You should retain an attorney to help you file and serve an Answer or the Family Law Facilitator at the courthouse can help you prepare an Answer. The Family Law Facilitator provides free legal assistance and is not part of the local child support agency.

Sign a Stipulation. You can contact the Petitioner named in the Summons and Complaint to sign an agreement (Stipulation) to establish paternity, child support and medical support.

Get testing. If you don't think you are the father of the child named in the complaint you can request from the court testing. If you are served by the local child support agency you should contact them to arrange for testing to determine whether you are the father.

Hire an attorney. A Summons and Complaint is a legal document. You are being sued. You may want to hire a private attorney to represent you.

Get legal help. You may ask the Family Law Facilitator for free help in reviewing and completing forms.

What happens if I do not respond?

If you ignore these legal papers you will be considered the legal parent and you may be ordered to pay child support.

If you do not sign an agreement (Stipulation) or file an Answer to Complaint within 30 days, the proposed judgment will become a final judgment, which means a decision is made without your input. This means the amount of support you have to pay may be incorrect.

It is in your best interest to take care of this lawsuit before it becomes a final judgment. The information you provide will help ensure the child support order is correct.

If you are not sure you are the child's father, you must request genetic testing!

If you don't request testing you will become the legal father of the child even if you are not the real father.

Information

http//cssd.lacounty.gov
www.childsup.ca.gov
Telephone number of DCSS: 1-866-249-0773

© 2007 Warren R. Shiell. All rights reserved. The information contained in this website is an "Advertisement." It is for informational purposes only and shall not constitute legal advice. Nothing in this Website shall be deemed to create an Attorney-Client relationship. An Attorney-Client relationship shall only be created when this office agrees to represent a Client and a Client signs a written retainer agreement.

About Author

Warren Shiell Divorce Attorney Los Angeles http://www.la-familylaw.com

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