Legal Question in Family Law in Maryland

Re: Notice of Default Order in Child Support

This is one of those cases where you really should

consult an attorney. You only have a short time

to reply and you don't want to get it wrong this

time. The courts in these kinds of cases are usually

pretty lenient, and if you have a good case you could

reopen it even if the amount is lowered, but you shouldn't

wait until that happens. It's more expense and the

courts might decide that you waited too long, etc...

Re: Notice of Default Order in Child Support

When the other parent filed his/her motion, you were served with an order to show cause why the request to reduce support should not be granted. The default was entered after the deadline passed and you failed to respond. You are now being given an opportunity to have the default set aside and to file an opposition to the motion. These requests are usually based upon a reduction in income of the paying parent from what it was when the original support order was entered. If his/her income was reduced through no fault of his/her own (e.g., illness, layoff), as opposed to a decision to leave the job for personal reasons, and he/she can demonstrate an inability to obtain employment with a similar pay scale, they may be entitled to a reduction. Otherwise, you have legitimate defenses and should seek an attorney experienced in family law matters to assist you in opposing this attempt. Unless the children are near majority age (18), there is usually a lot of money involved.