Question asked on Sep 12th, 2013
Q: I’m 20 and have a brother who is 16. My parents are divorced. My mother has been misusing his child support money to help her family over her own kids. If I took custody of my brother could I receive the child support money to pay for rent and food etc?
A: You don’t say where you (or, more importantly, your brother is) living, but the answer is “yes” — at least in some places. In Nevada, for example, child support “follows” the child, so if a third party (i.e., you) took lawful custody of your little brother, any child support payable would likewise go to you. This varies from place to place, so if you have questions, ask a family law specialist where you are living.
Marshal S. Willick is the principal of the Willick Law Group, an A/V rated Family Law firm in Las Vegas, Nevada, and practices in trial and appellate Family Law. He is a Certified Family Law Specialist, a Fellow of both the American and International Academies of Matrimonial Lawyers, former Chair of the Nevada Bar Family Law Section and former President of the Nevada chapter of the AAML.
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