Legal Question in Family Law in Puerto Rico

Child Support and Tax Fraud

My daughter's father is literally hiding in Puerto Rico. He says he refuses to come back to Illinois because he doesn't want to pay child support. He has intermittantly sent approx. $2000 over the last 10 years. Approximately 4 years ago he asked for our daughter's SS# under the guise of providing insurance for her. Needless to say he never has, but apparently has been claiming her on his Income Tax! I just found out because the IRS sent me a letter that someone else is filing claiming her number. We were not married when she was born, and a judge has never named him the father nor ordered child support. My question is two-fold. How can I get support ordered and adhered to? By his claiming her fraudulently on his taxes, doesn't that prove he claims paternity? My daughter is now 14, she needs money for college, insurance etc. What can I do to make him pay for her needs? He is cheating the government and us. Please help, he is using Puerto Rico to protect him from his responsibility and to defraud the government. Please help.


Asked on 1/04/03, 5:29 pm

1 Answer from Attorneys
Julio C. Alejandro Julio C. Alejandro Serrano Attorney at Law

Re: Child Support and Tax Fraud

You should contact a public assistance lawyer in Illinois, and/or the Family Support Agency in that state. Once that is done, he should be able to counsel you. If he recognized your daughter, as he may have through the intermittent child support and the claiming in the income tax return, you may even get a filiation from your own state. Otherwise, there several jurisdictional and conflict of laws issues that are worth studying in detail.

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Answered on 1/07/03, 8:23 am


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