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Child Support - Masters Hearing - Pennsylvania

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pookerhead

Junior Member
Pennsylvania

First child support hearing was this week. In the hearing my sons father was very rude to my lawyer and very ignorant during the entire process. He works a job and makes a little over min. wage but at 40 hours/week. I am working 3 jobs right now just so that I can pay for daycare, until I start receiving child support. He has not contributed a dime and since i filed for child support he has filed for 50/50. I know this story is pretty typical - where if one parent files child support the other files for half custody so that he doesn't have to pay. They put a temporary order for child support in for only half of what they originally set it at and he did not agree. We are now scheduled for a masters hearing in 3 weeks.... He pushed it back because he told my lawyer, me and the person doing the calculations that he is going away for 3 weeks to California to look at houses with his new girlfriend. I'm sure he did that to take a jab at me but he is obviously clueless on how bad that looks on him. My attorney says that in this next masters hearing they will now calculate child care expenses and health insurance so he may even have to pay more than the original amount stated anyway. I think he is thinking he is going to get it lowered, but my lawyer is saying most likely he will end up paying a lot more - he should have agreed to the first amount because it can get really high once they factor in the other costs. I really need help, i need to be able to quit my other 2 part time jobs - i'm running around like a crazy woman and trying to be a new mom at the same time. What typically happens in the masters meeting? Will his order most likely go up? What if he somehow tries to lie about something this time? Will they see through it?
 


Zigner

Senior Member, Non-Attorney
Pennsylvania

First child support hearing was this week. In the hearing my sons father was very rude to my lawyer and very ignorant during the entire process. He works a job and makes a little over min. wage but at 40 hours/week. I am working 3 jobs right now just so that I can pay for daycare, until I start receiving child support. He has not contributed a dime and since i filed for child support he has filed for 50/50. I know this story is pretty typical - where if one parent files child support the other files for half custody so that he doesn't have to pay. They put a temporary order for child support in for only half of what they originally set it at and he did not agree. We are now scheduled for a masters hearing in 3 weeks.... He pushed it back because he told my lawyer, me and the person doing the calculations that he is going away for 3 weeks to California to look at houses with his new girlfriend. I'm sure he did that to take a jab at me but he is obviously clueless on how bad that looks on him. My attorney says that in this next masters hearing they will now calculate child care expenses and health insurance so he may even have to pay more than the original amount stated anyway. I think he is thinking he is going to get it lowered, but my lawyer is saying most likely he will end up paying a lot more - he should have agreed to the first amount because it can get really high once they factor in the other costs. I really need help, i need to be able to quit my other 2 part time jobs - i'm running around like a crazy woman and trying to be a new mom at the same time. What typically happens in the masters meeting? Will his order most likely go up? What if he somehow tries to lie about something this time? Will they see through it?
Your questions are best answered by your attorney.

Please know that you should NEVER rely on child support for your "income". I mean, think about it...what if the father were to (God forbid) get in an accident and become totally disabled (or worse)? What would you do then?
 

pookerhead

Junior Member
Your questions are best answered by your attorney.

Please know that you should NEVER rely on child support for your "income". I mean, think about it...what if the father were to (God forbid) get in an accident and become totally disabled (or worse)? What would you do then?
I kind of need to rely on it for the moment until i really get back on my feet. Like I said i'm working 3 jobs right now and it would be a little relief to be able to quit to 2 part time ones. If he gets in an accident that's one thing but as of right now he is able to work.
 

HRZ

Senior Member
You best be working with your lawyer. odds are your lawyer has done the drill many times before

And anticipate "issues" of collection, visitation, and enforcement if he in fact moves to CA with new GF .

Court will not necessarily see thru his lies...it's up to your attorney to trip him up and zero in on truth.
 

Zigner

Senior Member, Non-Attorney
I kind of need to rely on it for the moment until i really get back on my feet. Like I said i'm working 3 jobs right now and it would be a little relief to be able to quit to 2 part time ones. If he gets in an accident that's one thing but as of right now he is able to work.
As of now he IS working. You're not going to get much if he's only working minimum wage - certainly not enough that allow you to work a single part-time job.
 

pookerhead

Junior Member
As of now he IS working. You're not going to get much if he's only working minimum wage - certainly not enough that allow you to work a single part-time job.
sorry, just to clarify --- i work a full time job and 2 part time jobs. My full time job i make too much to qualify for state discounted daycare (like $500/month over) - and i had to pick up the part time jobs just to pay for daycare which is almost 1100/month.
 

HRZ

Senior Member
I do not know how the CS math works in PA relative to extra jobs and the computation of joint combined income ..it might be the harder you work the less the formula calls upon him ...it may be a Catch 22 ..but at least get a handle on it.

I'd keep darn good records of how much time he spends with child, especially nights..vs you ..be wary of a sudden surge in his getting nights.

Bottom line you are not going to get much CS out of a minimum wage father ..best plan on finding a better job on your side....
 

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