Question:
I have been paying child support to my ex-wife, but not through the clearinghouse because they had my employer information wrong. Will the money I’ve paid still count toward my support?
Answer:
While I am not licensed to practice law in your state, I can give you some general guidance on this issue.
If a court orders you to pay child support through the clearinghouse, or some other system that receives and records the support payments, then your payments should be made as ordered by the court.
States have different systems but they usually keep a record of each payment made, in case there is a dispute as to payment later on. In most cases, the payor has a duty to notify, in writing, the court or the system if he/she changes jobs.
If there is no child support order, the amount you are paying should be counted as child support as long as you specifically designated that is what the money is for. Payments that are not made through the system and are directly paid to the party may be considered a gift and not credited towards the child support.
In any case, you should be keeping records of any monies paid toward child support. It is always best to pay your support in the form of a check instead of cash.
Therefore, I would encourage you to contact a domestic litigation attorney licensed in your area who can examine the full details of your situation.
Remember I am unable to provide you with anything more than child support tips.
To arrange an initial consultation to discuss divorce rights for men with a Cordell & Cordell attorney, including Florida divorce lawyer Christina Lapadula, contact Cordell & Cordell.
What’s a clearinghouse? I pay child support and have never heard of it.