[susanmarie]

Hi, I was wondering how I would go about to collect child support over the years for my now 27 year old daughter. Her dad has always told her that when she ever needed help that he would help her. Well I should have known better. When I left him she was 2 years old and she went to visit every summer. He told me that he couldn't afford child support so me being nice just said then when she needs it one day to help her it was agreed. The reason he didn't have money to pay is he liked to drink and party rather than look after his responsibilities.He has worked on the rigs his whole life in the last years has started his own company which pulls in 40 to 50 grand a month. He defnately can pay now. All that he owes her she put up with a lot from him. She didn't even get to ask him for $500 and he told her he couldn't do it after he just finished telling her that he had so much money he didn't know what to spend it on. As well as just telling her of all the fancy things he had just bought.

[ScottGem]

You need to consult an attorney knowledgeable about family law. You don't say whether he was subject to a court ordered support payment.If he was, then you may be able to sue him for the unpaid portions. But my feeling is that you won't be able to. If you received public assistance because he didn't pay, you might get the govt to go after him for reimbursement.

[s_cianci]

If an order for child support was never established it's highly unlikely that you'll be able to get one established now that she's 27. It'd be one thing if there had been an order in place and he was just refusing to comply with the order ; then you'd probably be able to collect arrearages for most of the years for which he didn't pay. But since you didn't pursue it when she was a minor, you're just going to have to write it off now.