DCSS sent me a letter that my case was terminated I relied on that and now I owe arrears. Is this detrimental reliance?

Child Support 3 views 2 answers
I received a letter from DCSS that my support case was terminated, no other information was enclosed. I checked the DCSS website and saw that my balance was $0. 14 months later my wages were garnished by DCSS, turns out my case wasn't terminated and they recently reopened it. Now I owe arrears for those 14 months where I thought my case was terminated, I would have paid those months at the time if I hadn't been told my case was terminated. Can I get the arrears set aside or modified because I detrimentally relied on the letter from DCSS? It doesn't feel fair that they expect me to pay arrears and interest for the time period which they told me my case was terminated.

Attorney Answers

2
Richard Forrest Gould-SaltmanFamily Law AttorneyLos Angeles, CA ·
Were you paying child support, during those 14 months by some means other than through DCSS? If not, then you still owe the support, whether or not DCSS was enforcing it or not. Do you believe that your child stopped eating during those 14 months?
0 upvotes
Lilian Demonteverde-HoatsFamily Law AttorneySanta Ana, CA ·
Was your child 18 years old and graduated from high school when DCSS sent you the letter that your support case was terminated? We're you paying child support directly to other parent during the 14 months that you didn't pay child support? Did you think your child didn't need support during that 14 month period of time? Was your child still a minor when you received the DCSS, letter that your support case was terminated? If your child was still a minor child when you got the letter from DCSS that your support case was terminated, you are still responsible for the child support. Why did you rely on the DCSS. Termination of support letter? Did you think the DCSS, letter might have been a mistake? There's insufficient facts for a proper assessment.
0 upvotes

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