Do I have to pay child support?

[Anonymous]

I really think, PP, that you are wrong.

The parents of a minor child might be on the hook to pay, until their minor child becomes 18. But after that, the 18 year old is responsible for his own child.

Unless he can't pay child support because he doesn't have a job, or is in full time school. I don't know that DC is going to "force" the father of the chid to get a job instead of go to college. Do you know that to be a fact?

How can you force someone to get a job, in this economic climate, anyhow? Are there all that many jobs out there, rigth now?

[Anonymous]

I really think, immediate PP, that you are wrong.

The 18 year old is on the hook to pay for the child he created and DC (as well as any other reasonable jurisdiction) expects him to provide for his child before any other luxury, such as going to school.

He will be forced to get a job because he has to provide for his family. Doesn't matter if there aren't many desirable jobs. He has a singular responsibility above all others. His child.

Maybe he should have thought about that before having sex.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I really think, immediate PP, that you are wrong.

The 18 year old is on the hook to pay for the child he created and DC (as well as any other reasonable jurisdiction) expects him to provide for his child before any other luxury, such as going to school.

He will be forced to get a job because he has to provide for his family. Doesn't matter if there aren't many desirable jobs. He has a singular responsibility above all others. His child.

Maybe he should have thought about that before having sex.

What you think is right, is not necessarily, what the law says.

Based on the DC Child Support Guidelines:

http://csgc.oag.dc.gov/application/main/intro.aspx

The child is not yet 18 and is a full time student, and therefpre may very well not be expected to get a job.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What you think is right, is not necessarily, what the law says.
Based on the DC Child Support Guidelines:

http://csgc.oag.dc.gov/application/main/intro.aspx
The child is not yet 18 and is a full time student, and therefpre may very well not be expected to get a job.

With a kid on the way?
Somebody has to support that child

[Anonymous]

What you think is right, is not necessarily, what the law says.

Based on the DC Child Support Guidelines:

http://csgc.oag.dc.gov/application/main/intro.aspx

The child is not yet 18 and is a full time student, and therefpre may very well not be expected to get a job.

Try reading the thread next time. OP already said the kid was 18.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

What you think is right, is not necessarily, what the law says.

Based on the DC Child Support Guidelines:

http://csgc.oag.dc.gov/application/main/intro.aspx

The child is not yet 18 and is a full time student, and therefpre may very well not be expected to get a job.

Try reading the thread next time. OP already said the kid was 18.

The first post says he is under 18??

[Anonymous]

I think he will be 18 by the time the baby is born.

[Anonymous]

Both parents are 17.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Both parents are 17.

Then both families must share the cost

[Anonymous]

OP, not sure if you are still reading.

Former teen mom here. Very similar situation as to what you describe. 2 good kids, going to private school, dating exclusively for 3 years. And then I was 17, and pregnant.

FYI, as soon as a girl is pregnant, she's an emancipated minor. Her parent's health insurance won't cover the pregnancy or new baby. So the first thing I had to do was go down and file for Medicaid. For my OB appointments, I had to get excused from classes (still in HS) go down to the clinic, sign in (1st come, 1st serve). Then, when the baby was born, we did a DNA test (things had gone sour between the father and I), and I filed for child support.

We were both from wealthy families. That didn't matter to the courts - at the time of the hearing, we were both college freshmen and ordered to both be working part time. I was paid $26/week in child support.

The best thing you can do is be supportive so that your son can get his education, but also he needs to be sure to experience his new, tougher reality.

Good luck.

[Anonymous]

What state was that?

[Anonymous]

Nobody can raise a kid with $26/a week in child support payments
Except if the mother herself is a high earner. And in your scenario the mother would be living off welfare, and the laws have changed.

Just what were you able to buy with $26 per week ?

[Anonymous]

Im not pp. There are subsidy programs for everything and once you have finish the degree guess what you get off of them. The thing is that assistance is abused by others. Don't you think if peopl got in good line of work degree or not the income would be better and there would be less utilization of the programs. I think or at least I hope this country will see you need to save live within their means. No you can't afford an iPhone or pets w/ 5 kids and semi-employed flakey husband, and working in retail.

They will know that quality of life will not be the same for a while. I know when I was 14yo I lived in a mansion ,but now my 14yo lives in a TH. However the quality of love is not affected.

[Anonymous]

I highly suggest the mother go to the county's family social services and get on child care assistance wait lists. High schoolers get priority for subsidized to free child care. If they go to school F/T childcare I believe was free and if they work P/T I think they have the parent pay 15% of their income to child care while county picks up the rest of the tab. If they keep the kid and don't get the support it will be the most emotionally draining experience of their lives. Please just direct them there. It took me 18months to find out about it and the exhaustion from working the hours I worked plus going to school may have taken a toll on my odd's bonding experience.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Nobody can raise a kid with $26/a week in child support payments
Except if the mother herself is a high earner. And in your scenario the mother would be living off welfare, and the laws have changed.

Just what were you able to buy with $26 per week ?

PP, are you surprised to find that the father of the child was not "forced" to find a full time job?