Full question:
I'm in Kentucky, i was told today that i would have to pay child support for my stepdaughter, her dad has already been ordered and her mom and myself are still married. Can they make 3 people pay child support?
- Category: Divorce
- Subcategory: Child Support
- Date:
- State: Kentucky
Answer:
Child support is the financial contribution that a noncustodial parent must pay to support a child's basic living expenses, such as food, clothing, shelter, health care, and education. Typically, only biological parents have a legal obligation to pay child support. In Kentucky, stepparents are not generally required to pay child support unless they have formally adopted the stepchild.
However, Kentucky law does state that stepparents may be required to support their stepchildren if the children are receiving public assistance. This means that if you and your household are not on public assistance, you likely will not have a legal obligation to pay child support for your stepdaughter. Most stepparents choose to support their stepchildren voluntarily, but this is not a legal requirement unless public assistance is involved.
The relevant Kentucky statute is: 205.310. Liability of stepparent for support furnished child. It states that a stepparent of any child who is an applicant or recipient of public assistance shall be legally responsible for the support of that child in the same manner as a biological parent.
This content is for informational purposes only and is not legal advice. Legal statutes mentioned reflect the law at the time the content was written and may no longer be current. Always verify the latest version of the law before relying on it.