Legal Question in Family Law in California

Welfare repayments

What state law in California allows counties (or state) to collect welfare payments from an individual and how much interest may they legally charge?

A boy, 13 years old, gets a girl, 18 years old, pregnant. She has the baby and lives off welfare. This includes home, medical, food, etc. When the boy turns 18 the county district attorney (California) garnishes his check (in Nevada) for both child support and payment of welfare costs incurred by the girl. Interest is added to the welfare costs starting from day one; no previous request for repayment was made. The county did ask for child support when the boy was 14 years old but the district attorney dropped the child support issue when he learned the boy was only 14 years old.


Asked on 5/23/02, 10:57 pm

2 Answers from Attorneys

E. Daniel Bors Jr. Attorney & Counselor At Law

Re: Welfare repayments

Nothing herein shall create an attorney-client relationship, unless a written retainer agreement is executed by the attorney and client. This communication contains general information only. Nothing herein shall constitute an attorney-client communication nor legal advice. There likely are deadlines and time-limits associated with your case; you should contact an attorney of your choice for legal advice specific to your personal situation, at once. If you haven't already done so, please visit my web site at --

http://www.CaliforniaDivorceAttorney.com

The site contains quite a bit of general information about California Family Law, as well as information about me (education, experience, et cetera) and my office (location, hours, fees, policies).

NOW, IN RESPONSE TO YOUR INQUIRY --

You need the help of a Family Law Attorney, who is familiar with DA Enforcement Actions, and who practices in the county were this action is pending.

Child "support" refers to a support obligation owing on behalf of a child or an amount owing to a county for reimbursement of public assistance paid on behalf of a child pursuant to Ca Fam � 17402. It also refers to past-due support and arrearages; and, for children owed a duty of support, includes "maintenance and education." [See Ca Fam � 150]

Ca Fam � 3900 codifies the general obligation of both parents to support their minor children "in the manner suitable to the child's circumstances." [Ca Fam � 3900] The conception and birth of a child in California provides the requisite "minimum contacts" for the exercise of personal jurisdiction over a nonresident alleged parent in an action to establish parentage or to establish or modify a child support order. Two special jurisdictional statutes in California codify this principle: (1) The Uniform Parentage Act [see Ca Fam � 4905(6)] and the Uniform Interstate Family Support Act [see Ca Fam � 4905(6)]. [See also > County of Humboldt v. Harris (1988) 206 Cal.App.3d 857, 860-864, 254 Cal.Rptr. 49, 51-54--Nevada father subject to Calif. jurisdiction in county's action to establish parentage, fix child support and obtain public assistance support reimbursement (child was conceived, born and raised in Calif.; mother was Calif. resident)]. Ca Fam � 4009 retroactivity limit does not apply in a county's Ca Fam � 17402 action to fix a noncustodial parent's child support liability for public assistance reimbursement. Rather, for cases filed on or after January 1, 2000, the child support/reimbursement order can reach back as far as one year prior to the date of filing the � 17402 petition or complaint. If the DA filed a complaint when the boy was 14, and if that complaint was never dismissed, the DA probably can go back three years from the filing date of that complaint. If the complaint was filed or refiled on or after January 2000, the DA is limited to one year.

Thanks for sharing your interesting inquiry with

us on LawGuru, and good luck with your case.

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Answered on 5/30/02, 2:34 pm
Robert Mccoy Law Office Of Robert McCoy

Re: Welfare repayments

Last time I checked there was case law on this issue. If you file bankruptcy, you can have all arrears discharged except those that go back 3 years prior to the first order of support. Let me know if yo need assistance with this.

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Answered on 5/24/02, 10:01 pm


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