Location: Virginia
My daughters mother and i would like to start child support. We want to avoid court and she recommended a “Child Support Agreement” I think its great and we have agreed on an amount and will both sign it and have it notorized but is this legit? I have 2 major concerns. My first concern is will this hold up in court if 10 years down the line she says he never paid me child support? My second concern is the agreement wants payments thru Venmo, Zelle, Check, Cashapp, Paypal. I will paste the agreement below but really just need to know that my child, her mother, and myself are all safe by doing this and there cannot be any foul play in the future or stunts pulled.
To make your private child support agreement legally enforceable without going to court, follow these steps:
Child Support Agreement
Parents: [Your Name] (Mother) and [Father’s Name] ,
Child: [Name], DOB [Date] ,
Payment Amount: $[X]/month, due on the [1st] of each month. ,
Method: [Venmo/Zelle/Check] to [Your Info]. ,
Duration: Until child turns 18, graduates high school, or as agreed. ,
Extras: Split healthcare/activities [50/50 or other].
,
Signature:
Mother*: __ Date: __
Father: __ Date: __
—
Notarize It (Optional but Recommended),
Visit a bank, UPS Store, or library for free/cheap notarization. ,
Adds legal weight if disputes arise later. ,
File with Virginia’s DCSE (Optional Enforcement),
Submit your agreement to the Division of Child Support Enforcement to enable: ,
– Automatic wage withholding(if payments stop).
– Official payment records(protects both parties).
Track Payments,
Use a shared spreadsheet or apps like SupportPay. ,
Save receipts (screenshots of Venmo/Zelle count).
Comments
Why do you want to avoid court?
>We want to avoid court
Why? Don’t do that.
It may be reasonable to say we don’t want to pay into the registry and see funds distributed by the state. But it isn’t reasonable to say we don’t want a court order about our support.
>we have agreed on an amount
Is that amount consistent with the calculator?