20.
My ex never told me I had a child, and concealed the fact for over a decade. Will this be taken into account when they set my support amount?
Unfortunately, probably not. The court routinely allows this kind of thing to take place
and rarely sanctions the mother for doing so. Although she may have deliberately
concealed the very fact of the child's existence from you, she will almost certainly not
be held accountable for it.
You, on the other hand, may be penalized for her bad behavior. You
may be assessed a substantial sum of back child support, possibly all the
way back to the day the child was born. The "arrears" will be applied immediately, regardless
of the fact that you were unaware that you even had a child. You will also, more than likely,
be labeled a "deadbeat dad" and forced to pay the back support plus interest. You should
contact an attorney immediately to discuss this, and the possible future ramifications.
