How to Check If My Husband Is Paying Child Support?
Although marriages are supposed to be built on love and respect, some husbands make the mistake of fathering children outside of their marriage, and subsequently have to pay child support. While in yesteryear a man could easily keep from his family the fact that he was paying child support, today's technology and the accessibility of public records has made finding out about such an indiscretion much easier. Whether you have a sneaking suspicion or legitimate reason to believe your husband may be paying child support, finding out the truth can be done in a number of ways.
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Instructions
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Determine what your course of action will be if you find your husband is paying child support for a child you were not aware he fathered. This is important so that you do not make any hasty decisions or do anything irrational should your suspicions be confirmed. Some women choose divorce, while others opt for marital counseling and welcoming the child into their family.
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Obtain copies of your husband's paycheck stubs. If the child support is court-ordered, the amount your husband is paying will likely be garnished from his wages. Many employers offer online paycheck stubs in addition to paper ones.
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Match up what your husband is bringing home in wages compared to what he should be bringing home--this is not going to be an exact number, but it will reveal discrepancies. For example, if you know he should be bringing home $1,200 every two weeks but only $800 is being put into your bank account, child support could be the cause. You will need to address this with him, but it will back up your reasoning for believing that he is paying child support. This is a good method to use in the event that your husband is an independent contractor or self-employed, because his paycheck wouldn't be garnished for child support in these instances.
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Check your state's attorney general or child support office website, or visit your local courthouse if you reside in the state or county in which the child support is possibly being paid in. You can also call the attorney general or child support office and ask whether your husband is posting payments, but you may be asked to provide his Social Security number.
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Search for birth record information for the child in question, if you have the child's name. Also, you can check with your city or county's website and input your husband's name or the mother's name to get birth records. Some hospitals also post their birth records online. Doing this will not only prove whether your husband is paying child support, but establish the fact that he indeed has a child that he claims outside of your marriage.
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Tips & Warnings
If you find that your husband has been paying child support but has not gotten a paternity test or signed the birth certificate, suggest he get a paternity test right away--the child in question that he is paying for may not even be his. Many married men will skip getting a paternity test and just pay an agreed upon amount of money to the other woman to prevent their wives from finding out they have children outside of their marriage.
