Missouri Laws 453.400 – Stepparent required to support stepchild — recovery from natural or ..
1. A stepparent shall support his or her stepchild to the same extent that a natural or adoptive parent is required to support his or her child so long as the stepchild is living in the same home as the stepparent. However, nothing in this section shall be construed as abrogating or in any way diminishing the duty a parent otherwise would have to provide child support, and no court shall consider the income of a stepparent, or the amount actually provided for a stepchild by a stepparent, in determining the amount of child support to be paid by a natural or adoptive parent.
2. A natural or adoptive parent shall be liable to a stepparent for the sum of money expended by a stepparent for the support of a stepchild when that sum of money was expended because of the neglect or refusal of the natural or adoptive parent to pay any part of or all of the court-ordered amount of support.
Terms Used In Missouri Laws 453.400
- Common law: The legal system that originated in England and is now in use in the United States. It is based on judicial decisions rather than legislative action.
- Dependent: A person dependent for support upon another.
- Obligation: An order placed, contract awarded, service received, or similar transaction during a given period that will require payments during the same or a future period.
3. This section shall not abrogate or diminish the common law right which a stepparent may possess to recover from a natural or adoptive parent the expense of providing necessaries for a stepchild in the absence of a court order for child support determining the amount of support to be paid by a natural or adoptive parent.
4. This section shall not be construed as granting to a stepparent any right to the care and custody of a stepchild or as granting a stepchild any right to inherit from a stepparent under the general statutory laws governing descent and distribution.
5. This section shall apply without regard to whether public assistance is being provided on behalf of the stepchild or stepchildren in question.
6. This section shall be construed to apply only to support obligations incurred on or after July 1, 1977, notwithstanding that a marriage giving rise to the support obligation occurred prior to July 1, 1977.
7. With respect to section 208.040, this section shall not be construed to render a child ineligible for public assistance on the basis of the child’s not being deprived of parental support, but it shall be construed to permit the inclusion of the income of a stepparent in the determination of eligibility for benefits and in the determination of the amount of the assistance payment.
8. In the determination of eligibility for benefits and in the determination of the amount of the assistance payment under section 208.150, that portion of the stepparent’s income, as defined by the family support division in the administration of aid to families with dependent children, shall be considered.