Kokua Line
Kokua Line
Question: If I receive child support and my ex-spouse is a teacher and the pay is garnished for payment, what will happen to the payments during the strike? If the payments stop during the strike, is there a chance to catch up on payments later? Strike shouldn’t
affect child
support paymentAnswer: The payments are not supposed to stop unless there has been a legal modification to the court-ordered payments, according to Bob Norton, information specialist with the state Child Support Enforcement Agency (CSEA).
"While teachers, or anybody, are on strike, they are still legally responsible for the financial support of their children," he said.
Basically, CSEA only follows court orders, Norton noted.
"If a parent wants to modify that court order because of a strike, financial change, loss of job, incarceration or disability, etc., they have to petition the court for a modification of the original court order," he said.
A second option is to petition CSEA, and "we convey the petition to the Office of Child Support Hearings (a separate agency), which will set up a hearing with both parents."
That office will then render a decision, which will have the force of law, modifying the existing court order, Norton said.
Q: I am moving to Hawaii, and I need to know what the rules are to establish a permanent residence in the state. I know that in order to participate in different services I must be a resident of the state. Would you be so kind as to provide me with the information or a site where I might find the rules governing the establishment of residency?
A: You can check the Hawaii state government Web site, www.ehawaiigov.org, for all sorts of information on the state, from living and working to visiting here.
There are no "rules" for establishing permanent residency, but by doing certain things you will end up being considered a resident.
For example, you could file a resident income tax return, register to vote and vote, and/or get a permanent job.
You don't indicate what services you are looking to participate in. To get "kamaaina" (Hawaii resident) discount rates, you generally just have to show a Hawaii driver's license or state ID card.
To qualify for resident tuition at the University of Hawaii, you must have lived in Hawaii for 12 consecutive months prior to the first day of class, you must file a resident personal income tax return, and you must vote/register to vote in Hawaii, among a host of other things.
Auwe
To the young female driver of a gray Honda Civic. At 3:35 p.m. Wednesday, April 4, at the intersection of Halekauwila and South streets, I witnessed you failing to yield to the pedestrian in the crosswalk, cutting him off when the light turned green. To further add insult to near injury, you "flipped him the bird" as if it was his fault you nearly ran him over. You need to go back to driver's ed or take an anger management course. Otherwise, we will all be reading about another traffic fatality. -- No Name
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