Questions regarding OH/MI custody/child support

[Shr00m]

What is the name of your state? OH

I own a house in OH and me and my girlfriend (I'm 27, she's 24) have been living there 3 years in April 07. Things are not working out between us and our 2 1/2 year old daughter is mixed up in everything. She is going to be moving back in with her parents house in MI this weekend and is taking our daughter wtih her. She is unemployed (just lost her job in OH) but I have a decent paying job. I told her that I wanted to split the time that we get custody of our daughter, not sure if she aggrees to that yet. I am going to set up an appt. with an attorney in Ohio early next week.

Question that I have is what are my obligations for paying child support until this goes into court? How do I know how much to pay? She told me that she can't file anything in MI until 6 months has passed. That means I would need to file in OH if we wanted to get things rolling.

2nd question that I have is: She was on MI state funded insurance while she was pregnant. I was told that the state paid $8000 in medical for her and that I was the one who had to pay it back. All medical procedures that were related to my daughter were covered under my insurnace through my employment. I don't have a problem with child support (even though I'm going to need to get a 2nd job) but why is it up to me to pay back my girlfriends state funded insurnace when I don't even live in Michigan?

I'm pretty confused about all this and have been worrying all day. Figured I would post here to try to get some quick input.

Thanks.

 

[LdiJ]

What is the name of your state? OH

I own a house in OH and me and my girlfriend (I'm 27, she's 24) have been living there 3 years in April 07. Things are not working out between us and our 2 1/2 year old daughter is mixed up in everything. She is going to be moving back in with her parents house in MI this weekend and is taking our daughter wtih her. She is unemployed (just lost her job in OH) but I have a decent paying job. I told her that I wanted to split the time that we get custody of our daughter, not sure if she aggrees to that yet. I am going to set up an appt. with an attorney in Ohio early next week.

How far is the actual distance between the two homes?

Question that I have is what are my obligations for paying child support until this goes into court? How do I know how much to pay? She told me that she can't file anything in MI until 6 months has passed. That means I would need to file in OH if we wanted to get things rolling.

You have no obligations until there is a court order for support. However, she does NOT have to wait six months to file for support. She may think she does, but that is not correct.

2nd question that I have is: She was on MI state funded insurance while she was pregnant. I was told that the state paid $8000 in medical for her and that I was the one who had to pay it back. All medical procedures that were related to my daughter were covered under my insurnace through my employment. I don't have a problem with child support (even though I'm going to need to get a 2nd job) but why is it up to me to pay back my girlfriends state funded insurnace when I don't even live in Michigan?

I'm pretty confused about all this and have been worrying all day. Figured I would post here to try to get some quick input.

Thanks.

You have to pay it back, because if you had married her, your insurance would have covered the baby's birth. Why should the taxpayers have to pay for it?

 

[CJane]

You have to pay it back, because if you had married her, your insurance would have covered the baby's birth. Why should the taxpayers have to pay for it?

The baby's birth, I can see. But the prenatal care that mom received? Seems iffy to me.

OP ~ Has paternity been legally established?

 

[Shr00m]

How far is the actual distance between the two homes?



You have no obligations until there is a court order for support. However, she does NOT have to wait six months to file for support. She may think she does, but that is not correct.



You have to pay it back, because if you had married her, your insurance would have covered the baby's birth. Why should the taxpayers have to pay for it?

Homes are about 30 mile apart.

I have reason to believe if I pay her cash right now it will not go for my daughters good. I was planning on taking groceries/diapers and anything else that was requested to her until court date.

I don't expect tax payers to pay for it, but why is the responsibility up to me? Why doesn't she have to pay for any of it?

 

[Silverplum]

The baby's birth, I can see. But the prenatal care that mom received? Seems iffy to me.

I wonder why the states order just DAD to pay. Shouldn't it be 50/50? Does anyone know the answer?

 

[Shr00m]

The baby's birth, I can see. But the prenatal care that mom received? Seems iffy to me.

OP ~ Has paternity been legally established?

Paternatiy has NOT been established yet, but I'm 99.9% sure shes my daughter. If not I will be devistated.

 

[LdiJ]

I wonder why the states order just DAD to pay. Shouldn't it be 50/50? Does anyone know the answer?

Because mom was indigent at the time that the services were provided. Had she and dad been married, and still qualified for medicaid based on their combined incomes, neither one of them would have to pay it back.

 

[LdiJ]

Homes are about 30 mile apart.

At 30 miles apart, some form of shared parenting is reasonable, even if its not a true 50/50 timeshare. However, that will start to get a little more difficult once the child starts school. Keep that in mind. You might want to put a schedule together that won't require a dramatic change once the child starts school.

 

[Shr00m]

Because mom was indigent at the time that the services were provided. Had she and dad been married, and still qualified for medicaid based on their combined incomes, neither one of them would have to pay it back.

I think that is a crock. So the state government is making me pay $8000+ because of an unplanned prenancy?

I suppose next they will tell me if I didn't want to pay the government back then we should have had an abortion? Is this why abortion laws won't pass?

 

[Shr00m]

At 30 miles apart, some form of shared parenting is reasonable, even if its not a true 50/50 timeshare. However, that will start to get a little more difficult once the child starts school. Keep that in mind. You might want to put a schedule together that won't require a dramatic change once the child starts school.

Well unfortunatly my school district is rated one of the best in Ohio but my daughters mom wants to send her to a private Catholic school, which I don't agree with.

This definatly is something we will have to work out when the time comes.

 

[Silverplum]

I think that is a crock. So the state government is making me pay $8000+ because of an unplanned prenancy?

Well, dude, "the government" wasn't the one having sex: you & mommie were. Pregnancy costs $$. Someone has to pay, and it ain't me.

I suppose next they will tell me if I didn't want to pay the government back then we should have had an abortion? Is this why abortion laws won't pass?

Don't go there.

 

[Shr00m]

Well, dude, "the government" wasn't the one having sex: you & mommie were. Pregnancy costs $$. Someone has to pay, and it ain't me.



Don't go there.

I'm not angry at you, I appreciate the response, I just think think that its wrong.

EDIT: I guess I should have added that the mother was unemployed before she even knew she was pregnant and didn't care to find a job living with her parents. In a situation like that I think its wrong.

If somebody is living on their own wtih other expenses thats a totally diffrent story. But my girlfriend didn't have any other obligations before she was pregnant.

 

[nextwife]

Because mom was indigent at the time that the services were provided. Had she and dad been married, and still qualified for medicaid based on their combined incomes, neither one of them would have to pay it back.

What does that have to do, philosophically, with the concept that ONLY the male parent is being made responsible for a pregnancy that was created JOINTLY?

 

[Silverplum]

What does that have to do, philosophically, with the concept that ONLY the male parent is being made responsible for a pregnancy that was created JOINTLY?

But of course, NW. I wasn't expecting any sort of reasonable answer, except perhaps from you, or someone quite like you, or maybe even someone like me.

 

[CJane]

But of course, NW. I wasn't expecting any sort of reasonable answer, except perhaps from you, or someone quite like you, or maybe even someone like me.

Dad just 'heard from someone' that the state would hold him responsible for mom's medical bills. I very seriously doubt that he will be. Any expenses related to the child, yes. But expenses for mom's pregnancy when he's not even the father until after the baby's born? Highly doubtful.

OP ~ Request a DNA test.