25 yrs old, want to collect past child support from father

[SCOOPE39]

I am 25 years old. My mother and father never married, and I have not met my father yet, though we have been in email contact for the past 3 or so years. He currently and has for a long time resided in Colorado. Is it possible for myself or my mother to sue for 18-21 years of child support? (I read that the age in New York State, where I lived until 3 years ago, is 21)
How would I go about this?

Thank you in advance
Sean

 

[Michael Wechsler]

Originally posted by SCOOPE39:
I am 25 years old. My mother and father never married, and I have not met my father yet, though we have been in email contact for the past 3 or so years. He currently and has for a long time resided in Colorado. Is it possible for myself or my mother to sue for 18-21 years of child support? (I read that the age in New York State, where I lived until 3 years ago, is 21)
How would I go about this?

My understanding is that there can be retroactive child support ordered although how long varies from state to state. While there are guidelines set out the judge can modify them for good cause.

Here is an excerpt from New York's Domestic Relations Law Section 244 which should point you in the right direction.

Sec. 244. Enforcement by execution of judgment or order in action for divorce, separation or annulment.
Where a spouse in an action for divorce, separation or annulment, or declaration of nullity of a void marriage, or a person other than a spouse when an action for an annulment is maintained after the death of a spouse, defaults in paying any sum of money as required by the judgment or order directing the payment thereof, or as required by the terms of an agreement or stipulation incorporated by reference in a judgment, such direction shall be enforceable pursuant to section fifty-two hundred forty-one or fifty-two hundred forty-two of the civil practice law and rules. Upon application the court shall make an order directing the entry of judgment for the amount of arrears of child support together with costs and disbursements. The court shall make an order directing the entry of judgment for the amount of arrears of any other payments so directed, together with costs and disbursements, unless the defaulting party shows good cause for failure to make application for relief from the judgment or order directing such payment prior to the accrual of such arrears. The court shall not make an order reducing or cancelling arrears unless the facts and circumstances constituting good cause are set forth in a written memorandum of decision. The application for such order shall be upon such notice to the spouse or other person as the court may direct. Such judgment may be enforced by execution or in any other manner provided by law for the collection of money judgments. The relief herein provided for is in addition to any and every other remedy to which a spouse may be entitled under the law; provided that when a judgment for such arrears or any part thereof shall have been entered pursuant to this section, such judgment shall thereafter not be subject to modification under the discretionary power granted by this section; and after the entry of such judgment the judgment creditor shall not hereafter be entitled to collect by any form of remedy any greater portion of such arrears than that represented by the judgment so entered. Such judgment shall provide for the payment of interest on the amount of any arrears if the default was willful, in that the obligated spouse knowingly, consciously and voluntarily disregarded the obligation under a lawful court order. Such interest shall be computed from the date on which the payment was due, at the prevailing rate of interest on judgments as provided in the civil practice law and rules.