Unmarried Parents Child Support Paralegal King County

To speak with a family law paralegal call: 206-471-1245

This service is part of our Child Support Contempt and enforcement services.

Child support issues involving unmarried parents often arise without any prior court orders in place. When no child support order exists, enforcement problems can develop quickly once support is established and payments are not made as required.

Unmarried parents commonly encounter child support matters through state or court involvement, particularly when one parent seeks to enforce payment or address noncompliance. Court-based child support orders provide enforceable rights and remedies that are not available through informal arrangements.

In some cases, child support for unmarried parents may be ordered retroactively. This can create significant arrears and enforcement pressure once an order is entered, especially if payments are missed or disputed.

Unmarried parents may be required to establish parentage before child support can be enforced. Once parentage is established and a support order is entered, both parents are legally obligated to comply with its terms.

When a parent fails to comply with a child support order, enforcement actions may escalate and ultimately involve contempt proceedings in superior court. These actions focus on compliance with the existing order rather than revising the amount of support.

Child support enforcement issues for unmarried parents often overlap with support enforcement in divorce cases. For related matters, see Child Support Enforcement After Divorce.