Legal Question in Family Law in Washington

out of state modification

I have a question. Me(the father) lives in Washington state. Mother and two kids reside in

Tennessee. I currently pay 659.00 monthly but haven�t worked for 2 yrs, due to an on the job

injury. I�ve tried filing in Tennessee to have my payments lowered but to no avail. Tennessee has

jurisdiction over one child and Washington state has jurisdiction on the other because they say

she was conceived here. Tennessee wont combine the two(why?) Im at a loss for words. Any

suggestions?


Asked on 11/19/07, 1:16 am

1 Answer from Attorneys
Elizabeth Powell ELizabeth Powell PS Inc

Re: out of state modification

How long have the mom and the kids lived in TN? Has it been more than six months? If so, then TN has jurisdiction over the mom and both kids, where one was concieved is no longer relevant.

Has the Mom asked to have the case transferred there yet? If not, you could investigate and determine which state would have lower transfer payments.

If the case is still here in WA then you can ask DCS for a conference board (an administrative proceeding, cheaper than going to court) and ask DCS to lower your obligation.

Are you getting L&I? Can you use some of that money for child support? Have you contacted an attorney who does L&I work for assistance with that claim?

I think you know that your child support obligation isn't going to go away just because you are having trouble paying it.

The sooner you get this straightened out the better it will be. Hope this helps. Elizabeth Powell

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Answered on 11/19/07, 10:08 am


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