How far back can a child support award go?

Florida Courts can extend a child support award up to 24 months (two years) prior to the filing of the petition to establish support. This means that if a parent filed for support in October of 2012, the other parent's obligation may be retroactively established back to October of 2010.

Florida Statute 61.30(17) contains the governing language, and depending on your position,  this can be a curse or a blessing.

It's important to establish your Florida child support amount early and accurately. Even if you're the party paying the support, a formal establishment of your support amount can protect you from not recieving credit for payments that you've already made, or from having too high of an amount established in the future.

If you have a Sarasota, Venice, or Bradenton child support matter, and want to speak to one of our attorneys, call our office at (941) 404-8908.