Legal Question in Family Law in Maryland
Child support
In the state of Maryland do you legally have to be divorced or separated to recieve child support when the parents have not been living together or in a relationship for 10 months? The other party refuses to sign seperation papers.
1 Answer from Attorneys
Re: Child support
No, you do not have to be legally separated or divorced (or actually married) to receive child support. In Maryland you can file for child support in the Circuit Court and a hearing will be scheduled at which the proper amount of child support will determined based on the incomes of both parents, along with consideration of a number of other facts including money one parent is paying for health insurance for the child, the cost or work-related day care, obligations to support other children, etc. The sooner you file for support the better, since the court can not order back child support to a time earlier than the day on which you file.