Legal Question in Family Law in Minnesota

Re: Responsibility for Child Support when the father is 16

Your best bet on this one is to telephone the child support enforcement division of the County Attorney's office in the county where the mother will be applying for child support services.

I don't know the answer to your question for sure. I would have to spend some time researching it, which I can't afford to do for free.

I will tell you what I think the answer is: The mother's only obligation is to take care of the child. She should be eligible for all kinds of public assistance to aid her in that effort. As to the father, they wait till he is 18 and then they crucify him - The County, at no cost to the mother, is likely to go after him for the entire cost of the childbirth and for child support back to the day the child was born. There may be a rule that they can only go back two years for the child support, but that will prbably be all that's needed to go back to the day the child was born. In addition, if the mother later gets a job and has day care expenses, the boy can get nailed for half or more of the day care costs. The father may also be required to contribute toward the ongoing health care expenses of the child.

That boy and his family need to find a good lawyer right away and start planning ahead. This could destroy his life.

This response is for general information purposes only and does not create an attorney-client relationship. You should consult an attorney of your choice about the specifics of your situation. Information not included in the quesiton could change the outcome entirely.