Third Parties in Support Actions
Ordinarily, when you think about child support, you probably envision one parent filing to receive child support from the other parent. However, parents are not the only people who may be entitled to child support.
Many children are cared for by grandparents, stepparents, other relatives, or even family friends. Any individual caring for a child, regardless of whether they are related to the child or not, may file for child support from the child’s parent(s).
When an individual who is not a parent of the child files for child support, that individual’s income will not be factored into the child support calculations, because that individual does not have a “duty to support” the child. Only the parent’s or parents’ income(s) will be used to determine an appropriate support amount.
If you are interested in learning more about filing for child support, please contact Tanner Law Offices at (717) 731-8114 for a consultation with one of our attorneys.