Certified letter sufficient for service in MD?

[3kd]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Maryland

Happy Friday Eve,

My ex-wife and I are operating under a court-ordered child support arrangement. One child recently graduated high school and turned 18. I'm preparing to fill out the forms to go back for a modification based on that.

Several years ago I requested a modification based on change in income after losing my job in the recession. At that time, I had someone else who signed to send the paperwork certified mail to my ex-wife. Later I heard that I could have sent the letter myself, as the postal service is considered the "third party" in terms of service.

Is that true? If I file at the courthouse and send the copies certified mail from myself to my ex, is that sufficient for service in MD?

On a related note, does anyone know where the formula is for calculating the values in the table of basic child support obligation for MD? I had a copy of a PDF (from some think tank that researched child support for the MD legislature? I don't recall exactly.) that showed a formula, and I used that to extrapolate beyond $15,000 monthly income. Our combined income exceeds 15,000/month. If we're going to submit a proposed cs plan, it would be nice to know what the court would come up with.

Thanks in advance.

 

[AnonUserName]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Maryland

Happy Friday Eve,

My ex-wife and I are operating under a court-ordered child support arrangement. One child recently graduated high school and turned 18. I'm preparing to fill out the forms to go back for a modification based on that.

Several years ago I requested a modification based on change in income after losing my job in the recession. At that time, I had someone else who signed to send the paperwork certified mail to my ex-wife. Later I heard that I could have sent the letter myself, as the postal service is considered the "third party" in terms of service.

Is that true? If I file at the courthouse and send the copies certified mail from myself to my ex, is that sufficient for service in MD?

On a related note, does anyone know where the formula is for calculating the values in the table of basic child support obligation for MD? I had a copy of a PDF (from some think tank that researched child support for the MD legislature? I don't recall exactly.) that showed a formula, and I used that to extrapolate beyond $15,000 monthly income. Our combined income exceeds 15,000/month. If we're going to submit a proposed cs plan, it would be nice to know what the court would come up with.

Thanks in advance.

http://www.peoples-law.org/node/906

The link provides instructions and the methods of service in MD.

 

[LdiJ]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Maryland

Happy Friday Eve,

My ex-wife and I are operating under a court-ordered child support arrangement. One child recently graduated high school and turned 18. I'm preparing to fill out the forms to go back for a modification based on that.

Several years ago I requested a modification based on change in income after losing my job in the recession. At that time, I had someone else who signed to send the paperwork certified mail to my ex-wife. Later I heard that I could have sent the letter myself, as the postal service is considered the "third party" in terms of service.

Is that true? If I file at the courthouse and send the copies certified mail from myself to my ex, is that sufficient for service in MD?

On a related note, does anyone know where the formula is for calculating the values in the table of basic child support obligation for MD? I had a copy of a PDF (from some think tank that researched child support for the MD legislature? I don't recall exactly.) that showed a formula, and I used that to extrapolate beyond $15,000 monthly income. Our combined income exceeds 15,000/month. If we're going to submit a proposed cs plan, it would be nice to know what the court would come up with.

Thanks in advance.

I am going to give you the standard warning that I give every child support obligor who is contemplating a modification because one of the children is aging out.

Child support for one child is NOT 1/2 of child support for two children. As an example, if child support for one child might be 17% of gross income, then child support for two children might be between 23-25% for two children. If your income has increased since your last modification, then you run the risk of your child support either not decreasing, or even increasing if you file for a modification now.

Make sure that you check that out BEFORE you actually file for a modification. Either find the info and run the numbers yourself, or consult with an attorney and have them run the numbers. You don't want to go through this exercise only to end up having to pay more than you are paying now.

 

[single317dad]

Maryland child support calculator:

http://www.dhr.state.md.us/CSOCGuide/App/disclaimer.do

You should use certified mail to serve the other party, per Anon's link provided. I always use return receipt service, and many times I add restricted delivery so that only the person whom the letter is addressed to can sign for it. Without that additional service, anyone can sign for a certified letter.

 

[3kd]

I am going to give you the standard warning that I give every child support obligor who is contemplating a modification because one of the children is aging out.

Child support for one child is NOT 1/2 of child support for two children. As an example, if child support for one child might be 17% of gross income, then child support for two children might be between 23-25% for two children. If your income has increased since your last modification, then you run the risk of your child support either not decreasing, or even increasing if you file for a modification now.

Make sure that you check that out BEFORE you actually file for a modification. Either find the info and run the numbers yourself, or consult with an attorney and have them run the numbers. You don't want to go through this exercise only to end up having to pay more than you are paying now.

Thanks, I'm aware of that. We're both at the same income levels we had at the previous calculation, so that shouldn't be an issue.

Finding the info is an exercise in frustration. There is a formula used to build the table up to $15,000 combined monthly parental income, and it's what the court used to extrapolate before. But I can't find it online.

 

[TheGeekess]

Thanks, I'm aware of that. We're both at the same income levels we had at the previous calculation, so that shouldn't be an issue.

Finding the info is an exercise in frustration. There is a formula used to build the table up to $15,000 combined monthly parental income, and it's what the court used to extrapolate before. But I can't find it online.

Did you even look at the CS calculator from the posted link?

 

[AnonUserName]

Did you even look at the CS calculator from the posted link?

http://www.dhr.state.md.us/documents/Request%20for%20Proposal/noor12001S/ATTACHMENT%20B.doc

Here is another link showing the income to support ratio up to $15,000.

 

[3kd]

Did you even look at the CS calculator from the posted link?

I have. With three different browsers (IE, FF, and Chrome). In none of them will it work or even render the full form, left to right, in the browser window. Bad CSS/JavaScript, bad browser detection, or just bad design. There are other calculators online that alert the user when the combined income exceeds 15k/month, and one or two that simply generate bad results, like $7 a month.

I'm extrapolating from the Attachment B that AnonUserName just posted to guesstimate the amount I will owe in the future.

FWIW, I'm not here to try to find ways to "cheat" my kids or their mother out of anything. I've always paid, in full, on time, even when both she and I knew that there were errors that caused me to owe more than I would once they were corrected, and even while I was unemployed a few years ago. CS and mortgage got paid from cash while I used credit for everything else to ride out the storm.

And, for the record, I finally just called a lawyer. As long as I am not the person physically serving the papers (in this case, the postal employee, which I am not), I can send them, certified mail, with myself as the sender.

Thanks all, and Happy Friday!