Users' questions

Can a court issue retroactive child support?

Can a court issue retroactive child support?

A court is not going to issue child support now that support is no longer needed and will not order support… As Attorney Davidson explained, the court is unlikely to provide retroactive child support where there is not an existing child support order.

How long does a child support case stay open?

At that time both parents are notified by the child support agency, and the case stays open for 60 days after this notification. All records are maintained for at least four years and four months in accordance with federal law.

How long do you have to respond to a child support order?

This is legal notification that you have been named in a child support case. You only have 30 days to respond, or a “default” child support order may be ordered by the judge without your financial situation being considered.

Can a court order past child support in Massachusetts?

Under Massachusetts law (M.G.L.A. c. 209C, § 9), a Court “shall order past [child] support for the period from the birth of the child to the entry of the order” upon the filing of a Complaint to Establish Paternity.

When does a child support order expire?

However, many states permit child support orders to last longer than the child’s 18th birthday. The most common extension of this rule is to require the parent to pay child support until the child celebrates his or her 19th birthday or when he or she finishes high school, whichever occurs first.

What happens if a judge issues a retroactive child support order?

There’s a big distinction between a parent who’s refusing to pay court-ordered child support and a parent who hasn’t yet been ordered to pay. If you’re the paying parent, and a judge issues a retroactive child support order, you will have to pay support for a certain period of time before child support was officially granted.

When does a child support case get closed?

There are many reasons why a child support case can be closed. The usual one is that the youngest child reaches the age of 18, is no longer a full-time high school student, and no past-due balances are owed. At that time both parents are notified by the child support agency, and the case stays open for 60 days after this notification.

Under Massachusetts law (M.G.L.A. c. 209C, § 9), a Court “shall order past [child] support for the period from the birth of the child to the entry of the order” upon the filing of a Complaint to Establish Paternity.