AITA for suing my biological father for unpaid child support?

A Redditor shares how they sued their biological father for nearly $350,000 in unpaid child support owed to their late mother’s estate. Despite proving paternity in court years ago, the father refused to pay, abandoning both mother and child.

After winning the lawsuit, the father’s wife made disparaging comments online, and some friends and family criticized the Redditor for pursuing money they feel wasn’t technically theirs. Was the Redditor justified in their pursuit of justice for their mother, or did they overstep? Read the full story below…

‘ AITA for suing my biological father for unpaid child support?’

I don’t have a relationship with my biological father. He left her when she got pregnant and never acknowledged that he had a child, always saying she was lying. She did prove paternity in court and got an order for child support.

At the time at least, he had a job making well over 6 figures that was handed to him by his parents as well as rental properties, so the ordered amount was pretty high. He refused to pay it at all and somehow got away with it. My mother has died and I’m her only child. He’s never had a relationship with me, and in this matter, I wanted justice for my mother.

While I couldn’t independently sue for that back child support, I could essentially sue on behalf of her estate. I won, and he owed me almost $350,000, plus my legal fees. He cried poor, but the judgment was paid almost immediately, so either he was not, or his parents bailed him out.

I’ve seen his wife’s social media, and she’s posting about “bastards wanting a payday” and other tears. Some of my friends and family think that I shouldn’t have just used the legal system to get money that wasn’t technically mine. AITA?

Here’s the input from the Reddit crowd:

blfsw34 −  The money _is_ technically yours. Literally the reason why people has to pay is to support the child (you). It doesn’t seem like he was ever in a bad financial position and he abandoned you. Financial support is the minimum.. NTA.

[Reddit User] −  Nta. The law was on your side.. You got what is rightfully yours. The world needs more deadbeats being held accountable for their actions. So good for you! I would be extra petty and call his wife out for slander/defamation.

Dammit_Janet5 −  NTA, he was for trying to get out of court-ordered payments. Good on you for going ahead with this and winning! Comment on his wife’s post saying “Yeah, I am a b**tard because your husband left my mother when she was pregnant and was therefore an unwed mother”. The money WAS technically yours, since child support is to…. well…. support the child.

[Reddit User] −  NTA. He was legally responsible for that debt. All you did was make sure he had to fulfill his obligation.

Furious_Wolf_Taco −  I say NTA because it takes two to tango, and the courts said he had to pay.. He didn’t. Its is own fault for not doing his duty as a parent and supporting the life he helped create.

Turtlebombcatattack −  NTA OP. He abandoned you and refused to pay up. He pretended you didn’t exist. He owed that money to you and your mother. You took legal action. You didn’t bully, harass, or do anything wrong. You got the money he decided not to pay. I think he completely deserved this and had it coming. Your past will catch up to you, and his just did.

whatchagonnado0707 −  I wish your mum could be here to see this, i bet she’d be so proud of you for standing up for what’s right. NTA and I hope you do something with the money that makes your life a great one.

Etep_ZerUS −  NTA, and there was something wrong with your post. At the end you mentioned using the legal system to get money that’s not yours. That money IS yours. It was yours from the moment your father decided he wanted to, excuse the language, “f**k and forget.”

The moment he decided he didn’t want to be a father he chose to pay that price to you. You’re just getting what you’re rightfully owed. Good job for going after him, and congrats on winning.

JudgeJanus −  NTA. 350K is cheap for what he put you and your mother through. I was a single Mom without support. I spent all my time thinking of ways to make the money go further, getting videos from the library, clothes from the charity shops, clipping coupons and planning my food shopping that I was invading Normandy during WW II to get the absolute most for my money.

A car repair or an appliance going out was a series of really hard choices for me. Your 350K is supposed to cover all the anxiety you and your mom had to cope with because he wouldn’t do his share of the support. Please us some of the money to buy yourself a medal (or a decent piece of jewelry) in honor of your mom’s sacrifices to get you this far. And wear it with pride.

ElasmobranchMel −  NTA. You didn’t want a payday, you wanted the money that the court had previously awarded your mother to assist with your upbringing that he welched on. If he’d paid at the time, you wouldn’t have had to sue him for all the money as a lumps sum. You should be proud of yourself for doing this!

Was the Redditor right to seek justice for their late mother through the legal system, or should they have left the past behind? Is their father’s wife’s reaction justified, or is it misplaced anger? Share your thoughts below!