Replying to a message of Jeff Smith to Allen Prunty:

 JS>     In my case I requested a DNA test to confirm as there was room for
 JS> some doubt. The mother filed for support almost immediately but the
 JS> order for support was dependent on the results of the DNA test.

 JS>     In the case that you refer to it amazes me that the military can
 JS> take money from someone's pay when paternity is in dispute and hasn't
 JS> been proven.

It would seem to me that in the absence of some judgment from a court that
the money could not be withheld.  However, in this day and age it seems that
a letter from any bureaucrook can suffice.

It also seems to me that there could be no arrears for the time period before
a court ordered that the child support be paid.  Since there was no duty to pay
prior to the court order, there should be no arrears to assess.  IMO it really
doesn't matter whether AFDC was involved or not.

I have an acquaintance who is still paying off arrears assessed by the Nebraska
state agency that handles such matters, and he will most likely be paying it for
the rest of his life and they'll probably take whatever estate he may have then.
The child involved is now over 30 years of age.  I suspect that Nebraska is 
charging interest rates on the debt at a rate that would make the worst of the
credit card companies blush.


--- FleetStreet 1.19+