Child support in paternity cases is handled mostly in the same way as in marital cases with two exceptions. Pregnancy expenses may be awarded along with retroactive child support. Pregnancy expenses can be awarded to the mother if the case is filed within two years of the birth of the child. Although retroactive child support can be awarded in some martial cases it is awarded very scarcely. It is done this way because the assumption is that in a divorce case the father was already supporting the child throughout the marriage. In paternity cases the court has discretion to award retroactive child support based on the following:
- When the father learned that the child had been born;
- Whether the father had previously been willing to support the child;
- Whether the mother previously sought the father's assistance in supporting and raising the child;
- Whether the mother had a valid reason for not filing a paternity suit earlier; and
- Whether the mother's delay in bringing the suit prejudiced the father.
You can read about child support generally here: Child Support Explained, and Changes to Child Support Laws for 2017.