What should I do????

[jjbd]

I have a child child support case in Churchill County, Nevada that transferred from Washoe County, NV. It's at the DA's office with my case worker. I have given her all the information about my daughter's father. I also had asked her to see if she can do anything with the doctor and hospital bills I have for me and my daughter. She said I will have go to small claims to file for him to pay. I am thinking in Nevada to file small claims it has to be $5000.00 or less. Also since he had a letter sent out to him by the case worker on DeC.' 04 and respond by Feb. 3rd. 2005. He didn't respond because he wanted to avoid it or any legal troubles. I am also wondering if he will have to re-imburse me for any of medical that I have paid for my daughter since he knew about her before she was born???? He found out that I was carrying his child when I found out. He did sign the affidivit for his name to be on the birth cert. since he wasn't present at her birth. I do have a few bills in collections. I need to know if those bills can be turned over to his name instead of mine now because he is half responsible. I have been paying everything for my daughter and have been keeping a whole entire file box of her appts and bills. My case worker has had some contact with the commander on the ship my daughter's father is on, since he is active duty, NAVY. I call every week when I can. Since my case is pending I am wondering since if she can't get a hold of the commanding personnel if I can intervene to talk to them personally or would it hurt me??? My case worker at the DA is supposed to re-contact the commander. This case has been taking too long for a child who needs a lot of help with learning, because of a grade III hemmorage she had when she was born because of prematurity. Her father is now stationed in CA. Will he be prosecuted in CA or NV??? Then by the NAVY??? I really can afford much for anything since I now have a child born feb. '05. I don't work. I am newly married. my husband works because he is active duty Navy here in NV.

[elklaw]

1) Contact the father's command and request that they order him to have the child placed on TRICARE/Champus, ie. health insurance for military dependents. This is free. Free to the father and free for the child for as long as he is in the military.
2) While you are at it, also request that he be ordered to pay you his dependent allowance for subsistance - not you directly, but that it be paid to you for the child. How much that is will depend on what his rank is.
You should contact the commander and provide him with the appropriate documentation regarding the affidavit that he is the father and the birth certificate. The commander should then counsel the father to go get the child signed up for medical care and to complete the paperwork for you to receive the dependent allowance for the child.
After child support is set, that can be served on the father at the command where he or they will counsel him to take the proper paperwork to the finance folks to get the child support allotment started.
You should not be struggling with medical bill when the father is in the military and the health insurance is free. Someone should have told you that by now. I do not know if you will get reimbursed or if coverage can be retroactive to the child's birth. But get your child on free healthcare immediately. And when I say free, I mean there may be a co-pay or something like that, but the basic coverage is free, unless they have changed something.
If the command blows you off, go up the chain of command and/or to the command JAG (Judge Advocate General office). Since your daughter is a military dependent, they can represent her to ensure she obtains the benefits she is entitled to. Contact the closest JAG Legal Assistance office and they should be able to get your daughter a military dependent card and ensure she is properly signed up for benefits and services that she is entitled to receive.