Legal Question in Family Law in Maryland

Re: Child Support

Your husband cannot adopt your daughter if her father refuses to permit it, unless her father is found by a court to be such a harmful influence in her life that his parental rights are terminated. That is a very extreme action for a court to take, and is only done in cases where the parent is found to be incurably unfit and a real menace to the child's well-being. A failure to pay child support is not a basis for a termination of parental rights. Regarding the accident and child support arrears, if your ex-husband is receiving temporary cash assistance, that is a loan from the state which must be payed back if he ever begins to receive any sort of income. You suggest that the accident was not a major cause of his injuries, in which case he may not receive the big settlement you have heard about. If he does, a part of the settlement will pay his arrearage and trigger a new obligation to pay support. If he does not, he will either continue to exist on extremely meager funds from the tca, or he will apply for and receive Social Security disability benefits, or he will find himself able to go back to work. In either the second or third situation, you will receive child support and payment of the arrears, eventually. You are fortunate that you have that wonderful second husband who is supporting your daughter.