Legal Question in Juvenile Dependency in Minnesota

Re: child support

Your children are the ones entitled to child support,--not you. If you think of it that way, why wouldn't you? If your situation changes, you might find you need it. Plus, it takes a while to kick in.

What you CAN do is negotiate for it, and that way you're more likely to get it with minimal fuss. Some courts will allow him to pay without garnishment, but you want to be able to get a garnishment if he gets upset about it and stops paying down the road.

This is something you can also force through the courts, but it sounds like you need him to be available to you, so working this out together is in your best interests.

If you are really low income, contact your local legal aid bureau. every state has people who can help you walk through the process.

A community mediation center can help you work through this as well, so that the outcome works for both of you. For example, if he can put the kids on his medical insurance, and be responsible for their college by paying into an educational IRA through a garnishment, he might feel better about it. There are tons of options, if you two can agree.