A Brighter Future Is Within Your Reach

A Brighter Future Is Within Your Reach

Child support and the out-of-country parent

On Behalf of | May 4, 2018 | Child Support, Firm News |

In today’s world, people can live and work just about anywhere. Following divorce or separation from a significant other, this means that one may be dealing with issues that have to take international laws into consideration. A recent case in another state regarding child support and an out-of-country parent may be of interest to Massachusetts residents who find themselves in similar circumstances. 

According to a recent news article, a woman who was a college student at University of California, Davis, took a summer off to travel Europe. While there, she met a man with whom she began a relationship. This relationship ended up lasting some time, even though much of it was spent with the two living a significant distance apart. In one trip to see her then boyfriend, she came home pregnant. He ended the relationship soon after finding out.

The child is now 6 years old, and the woman is still working on collecting child support from his father — something that has proved difficult to do thanks to laws that have not really supported going after out-of-country parents. However, a little over one year ago, the United States joined a treaty that allows for the recovery of child support across international borders. This means that this woman and others in her same situation now have a better chance at achieving child support orders and having them enforced, even if the other parent resides in another country. 

Seeking and achieving child support from a parent who lives in another country is not easy, but it is no longer impossible. The laws of Massachusetts, the United States and even international laws support parents who want to seek financial support for their children. An experienced family law attorney can help those who need assistance obtaining and enforcing such an order.

Source: The Sacramento Bee, “Can California make a French dad pay for his kid? A test case is here”, Stephen Magagnini, April 24, 2018