Livermore, CA asked in Collections and Family Law for California

Q: If an old girlfriend comes forth and says I've had a kid for years, if it's mine do I owe back child support

Related Topics:
1 Lawyer Answer

A: It depends on who is asking for the support. If she is asking, your child support obligation is limited to the date on which she filed the court papers seeking support. For example, if she waited until the child was 8 before coming after you for support, she can't make you pay support for when the kid was 0 to 8. Your support would be prospective from the date the mom filed the court papers.

If the county is coming after you for support, different rules apply. The county comes after you when the mom comes to them seeking food stamps and other benefits. The date the mom first seeks those benefits matters. The county is supposed to start providing those benefits if the mom and kid qualifies and then come after you for reimbursement of the cost of those benefits.

Andy

Justia Ask a Lawyer is a forum for consumers to get answers to basic legal questions. Any information sent through Justia Ask a Lawyer is not secure and is done so on a non-confidential basis only.

The use of this website to ask questions or receive answers does not create an attorney–client relationship between you and Justia, or between you and any attorney who receives your information or responds to your questions, nor is it intended to create such a relationship. Additionally, no responses on this forum constitute legal advice, which must be tailored to the specific circumstances of each case. You should not act upon information provided in Justia Ask a Lawyer without seeking professional counsel from an attorney admitted or authorized to practice in your jurisdiction. Justia assumes no responsibility to any person who relies on information contained on or received through this site and disclaims all liability in respect to such information.

Justia cannot guarantee that the information on this website (including any legal information provided by an attorney through this service) is accurate, complete, or up-to-date. While we intend to make every attempt to keep the information on this site current, the owners of and contributors to this site make no claims, promises or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness or adequacy of the information contained in or linked to from this site.