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My Google fu is weak.

If you have a child with someone, like 45 years ago, but don't know about until today. Can you get slapped for child support for those 18 years so long ago?

A link/source would be nice.

Im pretty sure it is No. You cannot. It is meant to support the child, who is no longer a child

No. Only way you'd get slapped is if all those years ago, you were identified as the dad in court.

EDIT: In reality, these sort of things really need to be answered by family lawyer.

And they vary WILDLY by state. (State the child was born in, not usually the state they live in.) There are states in the union where you cannot ever be legally held liable for the child's welfare or support unless your name is on the child's birth certificate.

I suppose technically there's a very slim chance that you could get nailed with a court order to pay retroactive child support.

"The court may order a parent to pay retroactive child support if the parent:

has not previously been ordered to pay support for the child; and
was not a party to a suit in which support was ordered."

Every state is different though, really depends on what they have set the age limit to, in order to receive retroactive child support. most have it set at 18.

 Necroshea wrote:
My Google fu is weak.

If you have a child with someone, like 45 years ago, but don't know about until today. Can you get slapped for child support for those 18 years so long ago?

A link/source would be nice.

You would at most be chastised, as that child is now well into middle age and you are, optimistically, already pushing sixty if you knocked her up in your *early* teens. The child is too old to be given child support and you're probably already at or near retirement age. And I'm certain that after that long, the mother has likely let any grudge subside. Only an exceptionally spiteful person is still going to be mad about something that's been said and done so long ago.

 Jimsolo wrote:
And they vary WILDLY by state. (State the child was born in, not usually the state they live in.) There are states in the union where you cannot ever be legally held liable for the child's welfare or support unless your name is on the child's birth certificate.

This would be my answer and suggest either more research or calling a lawyer on the matter. If you get lucky one will answer those types of questions for free. Our family lawyer always did for me until the ol fart died a few years ago. But yea, State laws on the same subject can be so frigging insanely different you wouldnt believe youre talking about the same law, depending where youre at

There should be a law, including compensation, for robbing a father of his right to know and raise his own child.

cadbren wrote:
There should be a law, including compensation, for robbing a father of his right to know and raise his own child.

Ah there's the MRA crowd.

MRA?

cadbren wrote:
MRA?

Men's Rights Association.

I honestly believe that if either parent isn't fit for their child, they go to the parent that is fit for them. If neither are fit for them, they both lose the child period. If the child has been with a certain arrangement for long enough and neither he/she nor the other parent/foster consent to going back to the other person, well then tough nuts.

 Kovnik Obama wrote:

cadbren wrote:
MRA?

Men's Rights Association.

O.o

They exists??

 whembly wrote:

 Kovnik Obama wrote:

cadbren wrote:
MRA?

Men's Rights Association.

O.o

They exists??

They range from having a very tenuous point to flying rodent gak insane chauvinism.

Who's the unlucky fellow?

 Medium of Death wrote:
Who's the unlucky fellow?

The one who ended up with the 45 year old hamster.

 Kain wrote:

 whembly wrote:

 Kovnik Obama wrote:

cadbren wrote:
MRA?

Men's Rights Association.

O.o

They exists??

They range from having a very tenuous point to flying rodent gak insane chauvinism.

Yeah, there isn't much point in talking to "mens rights" activists, you'd just be wasting your breath.

I tried once, ended up pulling out half my heir

I think that child support should only apply if the couple was married. I also think that abortion should be covered by the government, so it would always be an option. If a woman is too misogynistic to have an abortion and not willing to find someone to adopt the child, that's her problem.

I wouldn't mind something that punishes men who think they're above condoms or that enrages MRAs though.

 Corpsesarefun wrote:

 Kain wrote:

 whembly wrote:

 Kovnik Obama wrote:

cadbren wrote:
MRA?

Men's Rights Association.

O.o

They exists??

They range from having a very tenuous point to flying rodent gak insane chauvinism.

Yeah, there isn't much point in talking to "mens rights" activists, you'd just be wasting your breath.

I tried once, ended up pulling out half my heir

Shh, the Secret Homestuck cabal needs more time before we can take over the forum.

 Kain wrote:

 Corpsesarefun wrote:

 Kain wrote:

 whembly wrote:

 Kovnik Obama wrote:

cadbren wrote:
MRA?

Men's Rights Association.

O.o

They exists??

They range from having a very tenuous point to flying rodent gak insane chauvinism.

Yeah, there isn't much point in talking to "mens rights" activists, you'd just be wasting your breath.

I tried once, ended up pulling out half my heir

Shh, the Secret Homestuck cabal needs more time before we can take over the forum.

Manboobz is a really good blog that makes fun of MRAs.

cadbren wrote:
There should be a law, including compensation, for robbing a father of his right to know and raise his own child.

The one who ended up with the 45 year old hamster.

Wait...WTH...that hamster survived being removed from a "Exit Only" orifice?

 Kain wrote:
They range from having a very tenuous point to flying rodent gak insane chauvinism.

Specifically, when they are talking about the difference in outcomes in family court, they have a point. However as you say, the whole... movement, is that what you'd call it? - moves pretty far into crazy pretty damn quickly.

1. Get a lawyer
2. Never, EVER, post anything online that may compromise your legal rights

This happened to a friend of mine, And two things:

1. Is the kid still a minor? If the kid turns 18, it makes it really hard to get retroactive child support.

2. If you legitimately didn't know because they never made an effort to tell you, it makes it very hard to get back child support, but if the kid is a minor, they can begin collecting child support moving forward.

Besides all that, it is different state to state, and courts are fickle and can do whatever they want. So get a lawyer. If the kid is 45 years old, not sure on what grounds they can claim child support except for trying to cash in.

If this is a real question, consult a family lawyer, who will answer it quickly and authoritatively.

while not a legal opinion, (meaning while I"m a lawyer, this is not legal advice, and nobody here is my client), I would think it unlikely, but certainly possible, that a state would hold a parent liable so long after the fact. A quick search found this site:

http://www.child-support-collections.com/statute-of-limitations.html

For example, Ohio does not have a Statue of Limitaitons for collection of back child support, but does have an upper limit on establishing legal paternity (23). But California has not limit on either established paternity or enforcing a child support order.

Also, if the child is disabled, support payments can continue indefinitly.

That said, few courts will be sympathetic to such an ancient claim. It could still cost some money to fight, depending on the jurisdiction.

also, keep in mind that while there may be no limit to collectin court ordered Child support, that assumed such an order exists. Collecting a judgment can last forever, as it is a court ordered debt. Establishing new child support is a very different animal.

As always, the answer to a vague legal question on the internet isget more info and contact a lawyer in the appropriate jurisdiction.