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Child Support Enforcement - Sarpy County Nebraska

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Secondly, I have taken the approach where I thought it appropriate of asking the court to<br />

order a parent to take GED classes as part of a purge plan, and to present my office and the<br />

court with progress reports. Often a noncustodial parent will report no steady income, and no<br />

high school diploma. Well, with all that time on their hands they ought to be doing something<br />

constructive to get their lives on track. My court has on occasion ordered a noncustodial parent<br />

to go back to school, and obtain a GED as a condition of a stay-out-of-jail purge order.<br />

Overview/ IV-D Attorney Duty<br />

Gangwish v. Gangwish, 267 Neb. 901, 678 N.W.2d 503 (April 2004)<br />

<strong>Support</strong> of one’s children is a fundamental obligation which takes precedence over<br />

almost everything else.<br />

Duties of the <strong>County</strong> or Authorized Attorney with regard to paternity establishment<br />

and child support enforcement are generally set forth in Neb. Rev. Stat. §§ 43-512.01,<br />

43-512.02, 43-512.03, 43-512.05 (explains the business relationship between county<br />

attorneys and HHS), as well as 43-512.08, 43-512.12 and 43-512.15 (modification<br />

actions). See also §43-1411. (The State’s right to sue under §43-1411 is not<br />

conditioned upon the payment of public assistance benefits for the minor child. See<br />

State on Behalf of Hopkins v. Batt, 253 Neb. 852 (1998))<br />

Also see: §42-358. Attorney for minor child; appointment; powers; child or spousal<br />

support; records; income withholding; contempt proceedings; fees; evidence; appeal.<br />

(1) The court may appoint an attorney to protect the interests of any minor children of the parties.<br />

Such attorney shall be empowered to make independent investigations and to cause witnesses to<br />

appear and testify on matters pertinent to the welfare of the children. The court shall by order fix<br />

the fee, including disbursements, for such attorney, which amount shall be taxed as costs and<br />

paid by the parties as ordered. If the court finds that the party responsible is indigent, the court<br />

may order the county to pay the costs.<br />

(2) Following entry of any decree, the court having jurisdiction over the minor children of the<br />

parties may at any time appoint an attorney, as friend of the court, to initiate contempt<br />

proceedings for failure of any party to comply with an order of the court directing such party to<br />

pay temporary or permanent child support. The county attorney or authorized attorney may be<br />

appointed by the court for the purposes provided in this section, in which case the county<br />

attorney or authorized attorney shall represent the state.<br />

(3) . . .<br />

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