Paternity Fraud

Nowadays, despite paternity DNA tests being so widely available, cases of paternity fraud are still rampant. Paternity testing has come a long way; it has become a legal tool that can help conclude whether an alleged father is the biological father of a child or not and thus, either free him of any financial obligations towards the child or get him to pay them.

Paternity Fraud in a nutshell

Paternity fraud happens when a mother names a man as the biological father of the child knowing very well that this man is not the father or suspecting that he may not be. Paternity fraud is a serious crime. Think of the terrible turmoil it leaves behind when a case is uncovered- the biological father has been deprived of his child; the child has been deprived of his or her biological father; the non-biological dad has invested time and emotions in bringing up a child that is not his and the list goes on.

The problem is that in most countries there is a time frame within which a father can challenge paternity after that, should suspicions arise, challenging paternity becomes difficult and a big, convoluted legal journey. Moreover, challenging paternity is a serious breach of truth between a couple and can create immense problems; thus, many steer clear of this.

Paternity testing to solve doubts

A father suspecting that a baby may not be in fact his can begin by quickly taking a paternity tests and depending on the country, can do this without the consent or knowledge of the mother. In other countries, the mother’s consent would be required. Depending on the time frame the laws allows, the alleged father might be pressed for time as registering the name of the father on the birth certificate must often happen quickly.

Paternity testing has been used in countless cases to get a father to take on their paternal responsibilities.  Using the test to free a father from child support for a child that is not his is not half a simple.

One can argue that ceasing to provide child support may mean breaking a bond between father and child; however, it must be said that in many cases, these father do not have any strong emotional bonds with the child and often already have a family of their own.

Fatherhood is not solely a matter of biology. Fathers have for centuries been forced into overseeing and paying for children that are not theirs- unwittingly. Luckily, paternity testing has really come to the rescue and in some US states it can be used at any point in court by a father wishing to prove he is not the biological father and free himself of child support. Paternity fraud is taken very seriously by the law.