What is the name of your state? MD
I will try to make this long story as short as possible. My ex-husband was ordered to pay child support in 1996. (The court order is in MD) Actually, he did a good job paying his child support until 2003 when his child support payments became more sporadic. I would like to add that he currently resides in New York. Anyway, he has not paid child support in 13 months and the child support agency will not help me, even though the court order orders any and all payments to go through them.
I have already filed a UISFA petition, which sends the court order to New York so it may be enforced from there; however, it has been over 6 months and I have yet to hear anything back from them.
I filed a Petition for Contempt on my own here in MD and had my ex-husband served in New York. Needless to say, he did not appear in court, was found to be in contempt and was ordered to pay a portion of his arrears, as well as resuming his current payments. To date he has yet to pay a red cent. I am now in the process of getting a judgment against him.
I would like to add that he has not seen our son in over 15 months, which was his decision, as I have never denied him his visitation rights. He has not even called my son in those 15 months. When I try to call him, I never receive a phone call back. It's like he has written my son off, even though he continues to come to MD to visit his parents who live only a mile away from my home.
As I cannot afford an attorney, as I have two other children and my husband pays child support for his daughter from his first marriage, and do not qualify for legal aid, I am doing all the court filings and research on my own.
I would like to know if anyone could answer the following questions for me:
1. How do I go about getting a bench warrant issued since he has not abided by the court order and continues to not pay child support? I called the court house but the clerk told me that there is no "specific" form to fill out to ask for a bench warrant.
2. Is it possible for me to have his parental rights terminated? Obviously, he has no interest in our son, and my husband would like to adopt him.
3. I read about the Deadbeat Parents Punishment Act online where you can ask the United States Attorney General to file a petition on your behalf to try and collect the past due child support. Has anyone ever heard of this and, if so, have they been successful?
I would appreciate any help I can get. Thanks in advance.
I will try to make this long story as short as possible. My ex-husband was ordered to pay child support in 1996. (The court order is in MD) Actually, he did a good job paying his child support until 2003 when his child support payments became more sporadic. I would like to add that he currently resides in New York. Anyway, he has not paid child support in 13 months and the child support agency will not help me, even though the court order orders any and all payments to go through them.
I have already filed a UISFA petition, which sends the court order to New York so it may be enforced from there; however, it has been over 6 months and I have yet to hear anything back from them.
I filed a Petition for Contempt on my own here in MD and had my ex-husband served in New York. Needless to say, he did not appear in court, was found to be in contempt and was ordered to pay a portion of his arrears, as well as resuming his current payments. To date he has yet to pay a red cent. I am now in the process of getting a judgment against him.
I would like to add that he has not seen our son in over 15 months, which was his decision, as I have never denied him his visitation rights. He has not even called my son in those 15 months. When I try to call him, I never receive a phone call back. It's like he has written my son off, even though he continues to come to MD to visit his parents who live only a mile away from my home.
As I cannot afford an attorney, as I have two other children and my husband pays child support for his daughter from his first marriage, and do not qualify for legal aid, I am doing all the court filings and research on my own.
I would like to know if anyone could answer the following questions for me:
1. How do I go about getting a bench warrant issued since he has not abided by the court order and continues to not pay child support? I called the court house but the clerk told me that there is no "specific" form to fill out to ask for a bench warrant.
2. Is it possible for me to have his parental rights terminated? Obviously, he has no interest in our son, and my husband would like to adopt him.
3. I read about the Deadbeat Parents Punishment Act online where you can ask the United States Attorney General to file a petition on your behalf to try and collect the past due child support. Has anyone ever heard of this and, if so, have they been successful?
I would appreciate any help I can get. Thanks in advance.