I recently found out that a girl I had been with in high school had my child after she had moved to another city. That was 20 years ago, and I am paying for the back support and interest. The court forgave the late penalties since I didn't know about the child. I need to know if, when I retire, can/will the state take my 401k and/or social security?

Where did this happen... I've never heard of them being able to come after you to pay for raising a kid 20 years after the fact.

5 years.. 10 years later yes... not after they are legaly adults. The courts could have notified you within a reasonible time. After all... you are tracible due to the fact you pay taxes, and they could have found you if they ever tried.

Yes, did you not hire an attorney and fight for the payments. Normally hey can't collect the full amount if no attempts to collect were ever made before.

Social security is income and you will be expected to pay from it

This all sounds weird to me too. I'd definitely hire an attorney.

Not to mention that, while I think child support is a good thing from the standpoint of taking care of what you created, it doesn't seem fair at all when you didn't even know the child existed, could therefore have no contact with said child (which you had a right to have)... and to come back after 20 years trying to collect it? It seems more like the old girlfriend is just trying to find a way to get some money. Why did she wait 20 years?

(I have seen back child support collected after the child was 18, but it was always a case that was already on-going - i.e. that started when the kid was a kid. I used to do payroll, so I've seen my share of child support garnishments. I've also seen them screw up a lot of stuff, sadly a lot of times screwing over the child support payer.)

P.S. Is there some proof that you're even the father?

I just got termiadted from my job , I owe child support can they take it?