Legal Question in Family Law in Arizona

Child support laws

My ex-husband and I lived in Tennessee and divorced there. In the original papers, I had custodial parentage of our three children, and he was ordered to pay child support. The children decided they wanted to stay with their father, and I let them...but our papers were never ''updated''. I ended up moving to Arizona, and my ex-husband (with my children) to Alabama. I have been paying child support to him under the same Tennessee guidelines that he was paying. I'm finding out that the laws in Arizona and Alabama are similiar, but different from Tennessee. What I need to know is, since he and the children have been living in Alabama for two years, and I've been in Arizona for that long, who's child support laws do I follow in paying child support? Since none of us have been in Tennessee, I don't see that I should have to follow theirs, but I'm unsure if I should be paying by Alabama's or Arizona's standards. Do I pay according to the state I am a resident of, the state the children are residents of, or the state none of us reside in anymore? Thank you for your help.


Asked on 9/03/02, 12:31 pm

1 Answer from Attorneys
Monica Donaldson Stewart Donaldson Stewart, P.C.

Re: Child support laws

Thank you for your inquiry. Generally, child support is paid according to the laws of the state where the children reside. If the children never lived in AZ, then AZ has no basis to take jurisdiction of the case. I recommend that you contact an atty. in AL to find out what steps need to be taken to move the case and the calculations there.

Good luck!

Read more
Answered on 9/03/02, 12:37 pm


Related Questions & Answers

More Family Law, Divorce, Child Custody and Adoption questions and answers in Arizona