Arkansas Child Support/Visitation

[kdm917]

I am the proud mother of a 4 month old in Arkansas. The father and I were never married. The father cut off all communication after we went for my first ultrasound and he saw for himself that I was indeed pregnant. We were co-workers, he is a sheriff's deputy and I am a dispatcher. He soon left and went to work in the adjoining county for their Sheriff's Dept. However he remained a part time employee in my county for some time and we have friends in common so he knew everything that went on with my pregnancy, which was a very difficult one, he knew when I was going in for my c-section etc., but never bothered to come meet his son and still has yet to see him.

At first I did not want to file for support due to visitation orders, (I have never stated that I did not want him to see his son, in fact I want my son to have a father, but not one who only visits because he has to pay, child support is not a 'viewing fee'.) But I have now filed for support through Arkansas OCSE. The father has failed to return the required paperwork and we will now be in the waiting game for a paternity test etc. I am told it could take upwards of 8 months before my son receives any support. This means my son will be close to or will be one year old. I have been told by friends ( nobody official or qualified) that if the father does not make any attempts to see his son for one year that my son will still be able to receive child support benefits from him but the father will no longer be eligible for visitations. Is this true? I have searched online law info sites till my eyes are crossed and have found nothing to either verify this as fact or discount it. Can you please help?
Thanks in advance,
Kelly

[elklaw]

The court makes the ruling, so if the father has not showed any interest in the child, the court can deem it neglect and abandonment and can issue a ruling awarding you sole custody and no visitation and you may want to request a no contact order also. As a practical matter, it may take up to a year to get all this established if he contests this, but since where he works is known and his pay is known, then he would have trouble getting out of DNA testing given his job, this should be successful but take time.