For two years Retroactive or "back" support can only be awarded for the two years preceding the start of the court action. The process of obtaining a court order for support is known as establishment. To create fair and uniform support orders, the court follows statewide criteria. These guidelines are called Child Support Guidelines (CSGs). CSGs were developed to treat children equally regardless of the family's financial situation or status. They also attempt to balance the need for the parent to contribute to their child's care with the limited resources of the state. Child support goes back further than two years if there has been no previous relationship between the parties. In this case, the parent who does not have a prior relationship with the child will file a petition asking that a new relationship be established between them. This can only be done by filing a paternity action. There are three ways that paternity may be established: through DNA testing, pursuant to a divorce decree, or through acknowledgement by the father. If paternity has not previously been determined through any of these methods, then the parentage can be presumed by entering into a voluntary agreement with the mother to pay child support. If the father refuses to sign such an agreement, he can still submit to a blood test to determine whether he is the father. If the tests show that he is not, then he will not be required to pay child support.