Married and Have Stepkids

[hazel46410]

My question involves child support in the State of: Indiana

I just got married in March to my husband.He has 2 kids from his 1st marriage.Him and I also have a dauhgter.Well as soon as we got married bought a house his ex pretty much dropped the kids off and forced us to take them in.They have been living with us since June 1.She had promised verbally to sign over his child support checks since the kids were living with us.She never did that.It is now Sept and we haven't seen a dime from her.Nothing.About 3 weeks ago my husband signed a paper from her attorney to stop the child support form coming out of his check.But 2 paychecks later it is still coming out.So we are at a lost of what to do now...

Please Help!!!!What do we do now?
Do I as a setp-mom have any rights in this situation?

[525601minutes]

Did this paper your husband sign also modify custody? If not he should file for a modification of that order right away.
Step-parents rarely have any rights specifically stated in court orders.

[hazel46410]

No it was just to cease the child support from coming out his check.He did file for modification.The court date is set for the 21st.

So can he do anything else leagally?Maybe hold her in contempt?

[525601minutes]

Only judges hold people in contempt of court and that is when they violate an order. It seems that she is trying to have the garnishment stopped and it is the support agency or your husband's employer who is taking their time changing the pay reallocation. Neither are the mother's fault.

[hazel46410]

well she has kept the 2 child support payments and have not gave them to us.plus she hasnt paid a dime since the kids moved in in june.

[CourtClerk]

If she's not court ordered to pay anything, nothing is due.

Step parents have NO rights to someone else's children.

It usually takes time to have a stipulation turned into a judgment that can then be turned over to whomever is enforcing the judgment.

[hazel46410]

So there is nothing that anyone can do but just let her keep collecting money and the kids not even live with her.It just seems unfair to me

[tigerdog]

It just seems unfair to me

No. What's unfair is that these kids just got ditched by their mother.

forced us to take them in

What's unfair is that they are living with someone who feels 'forced' to care for them.

Things take time. You have a court date coming up. Everything should be able to be taken care of at that time. Suck it up and have some patience.

[hazel46410]

Well don't get me wrong.I'm not acting like I don't want to care for them.But this takes a toll on any individual.
When we got engaged and were looking at houses.We sat down with his and talked to her.We wanted to get a house big enough to have his kids if a situation like that would ever occur.She didn't want the kids with us.She made it clear that he would only get the kids on his weekends,etc.She was very clear on that.She wanted the kids with her and didn't want them with us.

Then once we got married and moved in she instantly told us the kids had to live with us.She was moving in with her sister and didn't have room for them.She verbally agreed to sign over the child support checks.She didn't want them with her anymore.So without any prep or anything we took the kids.I used my own $ and time to get furniture for them and everything they needed to live with us.She literally dropped them off with the clothes on their backs.So I had to buy things for them.I didn't complain about it.I wanted them to feel at home because I could only imagine how they felt being forced to live with us.

She comes by the house to see them whenever she wants and has not gave us a dime since they moved in.So that would make anyone mad.So i'm not upset at the kids.I don't mind them living with us.But I think it's fair that she needs to take responsibility for her kids.

The courts missed my husbands pay to stop the child support.So she got a check last week.She is suppose to give us that money but she is refusing.Her lawyer even said that she is suppose to give that to us.She has yet to.It's been a week.