If you’ve assumed paternity for a child only to find out that you don’t share any DNA with the child, you should know about fathers’ rights. Misassigned paternity can be devastating for fathers and children, and it often puts financial strain on fathers. If you’re a Texas resident, here’s what you should know about false paternity.
Discovering misassigned paternity
Once it is revealed that a man is not the father of the child he’s been paying child support for, reimbursement is rarely a simple task. Paternity fraud is a common reason that men pay support for children who are not biologically theirs, which leads to a breach in fathers’ rights.
Paternity fraud happens when the mother of a child identifies the wrong man as her child’s father. Sometimes, the mother knows that the man she has named is not the child’s biological father. In other cases, the mother may only suspect that the man is not the father or assume that he is.
How does paternity fraud happen?
Fathers’ rights come into play when a man is asked to sign an affidavit of paternity for a child he is not biologically connected to. The mother might prompt the man to sign the affidavit or birth certificate. This document provides evidence in a child support case instead of the man taking a DNA test to prove paternity.
It can take years for courts to discover paternity fraud. The truth often comes out after medical records prove that the child is not related to the man presumed to be the father. The court could stop future child support payments or order the man to continue paying child support based on the circumstances.
If you’ve experienced paternity fraud and need to know more about fathers’ rights, speak with a qualified family law attorney. A legal professional may help you understand your options for finding a solution.
