In Richards v. Richards, 86 AD2d 771 [4th Dept 1982] the court refused to award the custodial parent arrears for child support due under a separation agreement during a period when the parties' child had neither received nor sought support from either parent. The court reasoned that " 'Although the statutory obligation of parents to support a child ... is stated in mandatory terms, a child who voluntarily and without good cause abandons the parents' home forfeits her right to support.' " (Richards v. Richards, at 771.) The court noted that it was not the child who was seeking the arrears, but instead, it was the mother who had not supported the child for a period of time. (Richards v. Richards, at 772.)