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Child Support Fraud: What You Need to Know

  • By Admin
  • 25 Jun, 2019
Child Support — Couple Talking to a Lawyer in Canton, OH

The child support order is one of the most important parts of your entire divorce. When a judge makes the necessary calculations to determine a sum for one parent to pay the other, he or she has to take a number of considerations into account. One of the primary considerations is the income of both parents.

In some cases, child support fraud occurs. The following explains what child support fraud is and what you can do about it.

What Constitutes Child Support Fraud?

Child support fraud occurs when one person provides incorrect information to the judge about his or her income, which the court uses to determine how much one parent will pay the other. The fraud can happen with either parent.

If the custodial parent tries to hide income to get more money from the other parent, this is considered fraud. If the parent who is not the custodial parent tries to hide income by working a job for cash payments, this is also considered child support fraud.

Another form of child support fraud occurs when the custodial parent is accused of not using child support money for the children, although these cases are difficult to prove.

How Do You Report Child Support Fraud?

If you have received child support already via the state's child support enforcement unit in which your former spouse pays the child support and the money then goes to you, your case file is already in existence. If you do not currently have an open case, you can seek the assistance of the child support enforcement unit to get your case going.

You will speak with a caseworker about your suspicion of child support fraud. You can more easily get the details across if you make your claim in writing to ensure no details become fuzzy as the case moves forward. As the caseworker reviews the information, both you and your former spouse may have to submit income verification.

Keep in mind that this process can take a long time as the caseworkers provide support to probably thousands of families. If you do not wish to go this route, you have the option of asking the court for assistance. You can file a motion with the same court in which your child support was ordered.

Your motion will go before a judge and he or she will look at all the evidence before making a determination. You should have an attorney with you for guidance if you choose to go to court.

What Can Happen If You Commit Child Support Fraud?

When a parent submits a financial affidavit confirming his or her income sources and amounts, this is done under oath, just as a testimony would be. If you provide false information, you commit perjury, which comes with a variety of penalties.

Perjury is a crime and a judge can have you pay a large fine and even serve time in jail. The judge in the case will recommend consequences commensurate with the severity of the allegations.

The first thing that happens is your child support amount will be adjusted accordingly with your former spouse's actual income. The paying parent may even be ordered to provide back payments for the amounts unpaid for the time he or she did not pay an accurate amount.

Child support fraud is, unfortunately, a common occurrence in divorced families. If you suspect your former spouse of committing child support fraud by concealing income, be sure to call your attorney right away.

If you have any further questions or have a family law matter you would like us to look into, please contact us at The Law Offices of Christopher Dionisio Attorney at Law.

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Do you believe a divorce is looming in your future? Are you thinking about filing for divorce? Initiating divorce can be a difficult process, especially when you don't plan ahead. If you want to ensure you are prepared to dissolve your marriage, you need to take action now before you file.

With these steps in mind, you will be better prepared for the divorce and custody proceedings. Read on to learn more.

Understand Ohio's Divorce Laws

A divorce lawyer is a crucial source of information during your divorce, developing a wider understanding of Ohio’s divorce laws is certainly helpful. Your divorce lawyer can provide you with step by step instruction on how you should proceed.

Care for Children

Custody is not the only matter relevant to your children. Children undergo a difficult transition during divorce, and providing a sense of normalcy is critical. You might consider discussing therapy options for your children to allow them to cope with the changes ahead.

Avoid Social Media

Social media can hurt you during divorce, especially if you express your feelings a lot on the web. You are better off avoiding websites like Facebook and Instagram until after the divorce proceedings. Otherwise, you might reveal something unfavorable or make yourself look unstable, indiscrete, or irresponsible.

Take Hold of Your Finances

Are you unsure of your financial situation? Now is the time to initiate an understanding of your assets and debts, especially determining which are shared and which are individually owned.

Now is also a good time to inventory all household possessions, including anything of value. Keep track of the value of each item.

Keep Track of Important Events

Logging interactions you have with your future ex-spouse is important too. For example, you should log any instance of domestic violence or situations that might warrant your gaining sole or primary custody of your children. Document all such incidents and submit them to your attorney.

Retain a Divorce Attorney

A good divorce attorney is worth your while. An attorney not only provides you with options for discussing your legal situation but also presents a support system. You may need to rely on your attorney throughout the court proceedings, so it pays to choose an attorney you want to work with closely.

The Law Offices of Christopher Dionisio  is a respected and dedicated member of the community. We understand Ohio law, especially when it pertains to divorce. Call us today to set up a consultation.

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An accident can occur anywhere and anytime, but do you have any idea what to do if you received an injury at work? Many people don't know how to proceed. Some may not want to tell their employers out of concern that they could be terminated, and others may not want to tell because they cannot afford to take time off.

No matter the reason why your accident occurred or why you don't want to tell, you do have rights and deserve protection if you have been injured in an accident in the workplace.

Learn what steps to take if you've had an accident at work that resulted in an injury.

Get Medical Help

If you've been injured, you need to seek medical attention right away. Waiting for medical attention may result in your workplace claiming the injury occurred elsewhere. If you have first aid at your work, get to the first aid clinic for treatment. If your workplace has a clinic off-site that they normally use for injuries, go to that clinic.

If your workplace doesn't have a first-aid clinic or a designated outside clinic, visit a hospital or urgent care facility quickly to have them assess and treat your injuries and document your injury.

Inform Your Supervisor or Boss

Be sure you let your immediate supervisor or boss know that you received an injury. Your employer will have paperwork that they need to fill out in the event of an accident and steps they need to take on their end to document your injury.

Give them all of the information they need about the accident.

Follow Physician's Orders and Employer Restrictions

If your physician has you on restricted duty at work, or your employer placed you on light duty until you heal, follow these instructions. Don't attempt to do too much and injure yourself further. Stay on light or restricted duty until your physician releases you.

If your employer pushes you to do more, don't - not until you are fully released.

Keep Track of Paperwork

Keep track of all paperwork related to your work injury including medical bills, post-accident pay stubs, and information your physician or other medical facilities you visited provided to you. Also, keep track of all paperwork and documentation from your workplace and the insurance carrier involved.

If your employer or the worker's compensation insurance company refuses to pay for your accident, you will need all of this paperwork if you choose to take legal action.

Find a Personal Injury Attorney

If you decide you need to take action against your employer and the insurance company, you'll need to find the right attorney to help you fight for your rights and to give you compensation for your injuries, back pay from time lost, and other money that your company or the insurance company owes you.

Look for an attorney that specializes in workplace injuries and has won these types of cases in the past.

Take advice from your personal injury attorney such as using physician restrictions at home in addition to when at work. This can help prevent your employer from claiming that your injuries aren't as severe as was reported.

If you've been injured in a workplace accident, you should receive compensation for not only the medical bills from the accident but for back pay and other losses you suffered from the accident such as time lost with family or financial impacts the accident may have caused you and your family.

Call The Law Offices of Christopher Dionisio, Attorney At Law , for a consultation today to discuss your case and get you the compensation you deserve.


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