When paternity is in question, it can send families into a spiral. Many couples find themselves divorcing over the mere question of whether or not the child is the husband’s. For unmarried men, who may or may not be the father of the child in question, the legal road is a bit more challenging. It is important for unmarried fathers to be proactive when establishing...
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Paying child support can be a frustrating experience, especially when the child is not biologically yours. A CBS article reported a Dallas man was jailed because it was alleged he owed more than $50,000 in unpaid child support to a child that turned out was not his. The passing of a new Texas paternity law that gives men who doubt paternity a chance to file...
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Marriage does not define a father’s rights. Unwed fathers have rights, too; they just need to exercise those rights. Recent news about Utah fathers rights indicated the state has made the process easier for fathers to exercise their rights. This has brought to light the fact that unwed fathers in other states still experience difficulty in protecting their rights. Other steps are required in addition...
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Child Support Question: How do child support laws handle issues of potential paternity fraud? My former girlfriend and I had a child out of wedlock who I pay child support for, though I rarely see him. I’ve learned my ex lied to me about being the father and just wanted someone to help support the child. Can I take a paternity test to officially determine...
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A Texas bill could help exonerate men from their duty to pay child support in circumstances involving mistaken paternity and paternity fraud. If the alleged father can prove through DNA testing that the child he is ordered to pay support for is not biologically his, then he would be released from his child support obligation, according to Texas Senate Bill 785. The bill was passed...
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False accusations of paternity have been sensationalized to the point that many don’t comprehend how much of an epidemic it is. Paternity tests do garner a lot of media attention, particularly with the success of “The Maury Povich Show,” which features segments revealing who is and is not the father. But Marcus L. Matthews wants society to look at false paternity in a more serious...
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As a reader of the Men’s Rights website, you are well aware that states have laws that are particularly unfair toward men and fathers with most dealing with paternity. In a series of articles, Men’s Rights features several states whose laws are particularly harsh on men. In Texas, one particular law that puts fathers at a disadvantage comes from the Texas Family Code’s section on...
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As a member of the board of directors of the national organization Fathers & Families, Robert Franklin is an active father’s rights advocate. Franklin is pushing for mandatory DNA testing at all births to help combat paternity fraud. Using data from the Bureau of Vital Statistics and some assumptions, he estimates in the United States alone between 280,000 to 410,000 children are born to men...
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Have doubts that you are the father of your pregnant partner’s child? The most important action you can take to prevent paternity fraud is to request a DNA test at the hospital to confirm that you are the father BEFORE you sign the Voluntary Acknowledgment of Paternity form. In most jurisdictions, genetic testing is not required to establish paternity; all that is required is a...
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Hearing the words “I am pregnant,” can ignite a wide variety of feelings in a man. He may be overjoyed, terrified, or a combination of the two. For the woman looking to commit paternity fraud, she is hoping that he is filled with the overwhelming sense of responsibility to do the right thing. Paternity fraud occurs when a woman intentionally names a man to be...
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