They do not cover cases where the other parent is suing you for child support. This information is not a substitute for legal counsel. If you need to know more about your specific DHS child support case or need legal advice in a related family law matter, check the list of resources below. This service will refer you to a private attorney. This service provides referrals for low income people to Pine Tree Legal Assistance or to lawyers who volunteer their time for some types of family law matters.
State law requires all parents to support their children.
It does not matter if the parents were ever married. If you do not live with your children, you will probably be required to send regular child support payments to the parent who has custody of the children. This duty continues until your children are 18 years old or, if a child is still in high school, until he is 19. You can also be required to pay health care costs, including health insurance, and child care costs. When DHS collects support for TANF families, they give part of it to the family and keep the rest to reimburse the State for some or all of the TANF paid.