Protect Your Child and Your Parental Rights in Maryland Family Law Cases It is not uncommon for parents to develop informal arrangements about the care and custody of children and payment of child support. It often seems easier at the time, but when problems arise with an informal agreement, it can be anything but easy to get them resolved.
Without a formal child custody order, neither parent has more authority than the other. That is to say, even if your child has been living with you for years, your child's other parent could pick him or her up from school and never return. Without a child custody order from the court, you have no more legal right to your child than the other parent does. There is very little the police can do to help you, if such a situation arises. Protect your rights as a parent and protect your relationship with your child. If you are separated, divorced, or were never married to your child's other parent, contact the Law Office of Raquel S. White for help filing a child custody petition in Maryland family court. Maryland family law attorney Raquel White represents fathers and mothers who are seeking child custody and visitation for the first time, or who are seeking modification of an existing child custody or child support order because of changed circumstances. - Is your child's other parent unfit to care for your child?
- Have your child's needs changed so that you—or the other parent—would now be a better fit for the child's needs?
- Does an older child now want to come live with you?
These are all good reasons to take your child custody order back to court to seek a modification of custody. Child Support: Getting Child Support and Dealing with Late PaymentsAt the Law Office of Raquel S. White, we help custodial parents get orders for child support. The amount of child support that will be ordered generally follows Maryland state child support guidelines, and we can explain what that is likely to be in most situations. The child support award is generally something that should be reviewed after time passes. A change in the children's needs or parental circumstances may make a modification of the child support award necessary. There are a number of life events that may not have been taken into account when your original child support order was issued. New expenses may make it necessary to seek a modification to raise or lower your child support: - Have one or both parents had a substantial change in income—either up or down?
- Does your child need daycare—or no longer need daycare?
- Does your child need a tutor or to attend a tutoring program?
- Does your child's religious education require some sort of tuition or donation?
- Is your child beginning a private school that requires tuition?
- Has your child developed a medical condition that is costing money over and above medical insurance?
Late Support Payments? Whether you are a custodial parent waiting to receive a late child support payment or you are the parent who hasn't paid support, you have a problem, and you need legal help. For custodial parents, there may be many things we can do to help you get your overdue child support. Before starting her own firm, Ms. White worked in debt collections and judgment enforcement. Many lawyers will go to court to get you a judgment, but she knows how to enforce that judgment—to get your money. For late payers or parents wrongly accused of owing money: Take immediate action. You have a lot to lose if the court concludes that you have not paid your child support: your driver's license, your tax refunds, your wages, your bank accounts, your passport—even your freedom. You could be facing jail time. We can help you respond to any late payment or arrearage demands and come up with a plan to get your child support payments in order and back on track. We understand that the Office of Child Support Enforcement may be wrongfully accusing you of nonpayment of child support. Sometimes they are wrong, and when they are you may feel that you are powerless to change their minds. The assistance of counsel often gets to the bottom of things. Allow us to help you set the record straight. Contact our law office by e-mail or call (301) 513-0599.   
Law Office of Raquel S. White, LLC7500 Greenway Center Drive, Suite 330
Greenbelt, MD 20770
Telephone: (301) 513-0599 ● Fax: (866) 801-5539
Map and Driving Directions ● E-Mail Us Greenbelt, Maryland divorce and family law attorney Raquel S. White provides legal services to clients in Prince George's County, Montgomery County, Baltimore City, Baltimore County, Anne Arundel County, and Howard County, Maryland, in communities such as Greenbelt, Upper Marlboro, Silver Spring, College Park, Lanham, Laurel, Takoma Park, and others.
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