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Payment for a child you never knew you had?

I'm curious.... let's say you are a happily married man with a family of your own. One day there is a knock at your door, before you stands a woman from your past with a 10yo child which she advises you is your son/daughter. This is confirmed and you are willing to assist in the continuing cost of raising the child.

Can the woman also demand you pay her for the previous 10 years of 'missed' payments? Are you liable for all those years of child maintenace payments even though you had no idea the child existed?
Father, Husband, Jogger, Painter. Mostly at the same time, except the jogging and painting bit, it didnt work out.

Comments

  • She would need to go to the CSA and the payments would start from when CSA were first notified so you wouldn't owe her 10 years of back payments. You could come to a private arrangement with her without involving the CSA however, and of course she could not demand 10 years of backpayments.
    MFW 2011 challenge - Aim: Overpay £414.26 a month/£5,000 a year. Overpayment Total to date: £414.26:jMortgage start 28/9/07 £46,217.00 :TMortgage balance as of 25/05/11 £24,490.58 :T
    Interest saved as of 25/05/11: £2,849.84 Projected term reduction as of 25/05/11: 9 years 11 months
  • moomoomama27
    moomoomama27 Posts: 3,823 Forumite
    No, as said payments start when the CSA first contact you. There is no back payment scheme through the CSA.
  • DX2
    DX2 Posts: 8,275 Forumite
    edited 3 March 2011 at 8:20AM
    Sideways wrote: »
    I'm curious.... let's say you are a happily married man with a family of your own. One day there is a knock at your door, before you stands a woman from your past with a 10yo child which she advises you is your son/daughter. This is confirmed and you are willing to assist in the continuing cost of raising the child.

    Can the woman also demand you pay her for the previous 10 years of 'missed' payments? Are you liable for all those years of child maintenace payments even though you had no idea the child existed?
    In a nutshell no you are not liable.

    E2A: Must have come as a shocker, I bet. Are you planning on having contact with the child? How does your family feel? I'm being nosey feel free not to reply!
    *SIGH*
    :D
  • It would be difficult, morally, for her to suggest you should have paid if you were in the dark.
    Please do not confuse me with other gratefulsforhelp. x
  • Sideways
    Sideways Posts: 124 Forumite
    DX2 wrote: »
    In a nutshell no you are not liable.

    E2A: Must have come as a shocker, I bet. Are you planning on having contact with the child? How does your family feel? I'm being nosey feel free not to reply!

    Seriously, I was simply curious following a recent conversation with a friend along those lines.

    Not me guv ;)
    Father, Husband, Jogger, Painter. Mostly at the same time, except the jogging and painting bit, it didnt work out.
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