What happens if I do not respond to a custody request?

If you do not respond, the court may make orders about your children without taking into account your wishes. Even if you do not respond, go to the court hearing and participate in any mediation that the court orders if you want to have any input in the court’s decision about custody and visitation of your children.

What happens when you are served with child custody papers?

When served with papers, it is important that a Respondent not take any action that will bring harm to the custody case. For example, in most states (including Iowa and Illinois ), a person who engages in domestic violence will be less likely to receive custody from the court.

How long does it take to file a response to a custody request?

In general, once you are served with these documents, you have 30 days to file a response with the court. If you do nothing, after 30 days the court can make orders without your input.

What is service of process in child custody?

Service of process is designed by our legal system to ensure that the Respondent properly gets the papers and is aware of the court case. It would certainly be unfair for the court to take action in a child custody case if the Respondent wasn’t even aware that there was a case pending.

If you do not respond, the court may make orders about your children without taking into account your wishes. Even if you do not respond, go to the court hearing and participate in any mediation that the court orders if you want to have any input in the court’s decision about custody and visitation of your children.

When served with papers, it is important that a Respondent not take any action that will bring harm to the custody case. For example, in most states (including Iowa and Illinois ), a person who engages in domestic violence will be less likely to receive custody from the court.

In general, once you are served with these documents, you have 30 days to file a response with the court. If you do nothing, after 30 days the court can make orders without your input.

How much does it cost to respond to a custody case?

After you fill out the papers above, you will need to file them with the family court. If the other parent filed a “paternity” case, the fee to file your response is $223. If the other parent filed a “custody” case, the fee to file your answer is $212.