Legal Question in Family Law in Washington

Re: child support

I'd need to know more facts. If your wife is a resident of WA and the child resides with her in WA she can ask for and expect to receive child support, no matter what your decree says or where it was entered.

WA has jurisdiction over the child IF the child lives here. Children by law here are entitled to support from the parent with whom they do not reside.

There's your second opinion.

Hope it helps - Elizabeth Powell

Re: child support

It has been a while, but I believe the way it works it that last court that had jurisdiction over the issue of the child's welfare retains jurisdiction. I know that is how it is in Texas when the parents move within TX and I believe there is an agreement amongst the states to do essentially the same thing. Because the courts always look first to the welfare of the child, you will have trouble finding a court anywhere in the US that won't want to find that it has jurisdiction over this. She may have to have the WA judgment enforced in a TX court, but that won't take long to do. And the TX OAG is very active in arresting delinquent parents that owe child support...has been for ten years or more.