Retroactive Support
Retroactive support is child support owed for a period before the court enters its order, reaching back to when the parents stopped living together in the same household (up to 24 months). In Florida, a judge applies the child support guidelines to that past period and can order the owing parent to pay the accumulated amount. It recognizes that a child needed support during the months before the case was decided.
Last updated June 21, 2026
Legal Definition
Past-due child support awarded under F.S. §61.30(17) for a period not exceeding 24 months before the petition's filing, calculated using the statutory guidelines based on each parent's income during that time.
Example
The court ordered retroactive support covering the eighteen months the parents lived apart before filing.
Related Statutes
- 61.30
Related Terms
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