You believe you have a right to child support, and you’re looking into your legal options. That’s good. You must keep the child’s best interests in mind at all times, and having proper financial compensation to provide for the child is incredibly beneficial.
That being said, there are a few common factors that make some cases more difficult than others. For example, if the other parent lives out of state, it can be hard to track him or her down. This doesn’t mean you don’t deserve or can’t get compensation, but you must be prepared for what the case could entail.
It can also be hard if the other parent is self-employed or works only for cash. With direct deposit systems or paychecks from an employer, the paper trail is easier to follow and it’s not hard to see how much he or she really earns. With cash-based jobs or a self-employment situation with irregular pay, this can be harder to determine.
There are also complications when the other parent is out of work, between jobs or has a habit of switching jobs often. There is no stability and it’s tough to see what someone really earns or predict what he or she will earn in the future.
Again, none of this means you don’t have a right to support and can’t get a court order for what you should be paid. It just means there can be some hurdles to get over as you seek that money, so it’s wise to look into all of your legal rights and the options that you have in Maryland.
Source: Maryland Child Support Administration, “Maryland Child Support Questions & Answers,” accessed April 13, 2017
