Comments on: What’s a father? http://www.gregoryforman.com/blog/2009/11/whats-a-father/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=whats-a-father Attorney at Law Sun, 05 Feb 2012 20:18:33 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: William Hamilton http://www.gregoryforman.com/blog/2009/11/whats-a-father/comment-page-1/#comment-618 William Hamilton Tue, 01 Dec 2009 01:56:49 +0000 http://www.gregoryforman.com/?p=1868#comment-618 Unless my male clients are completely resistant to it, I recommend paternity testing as early as possible. The women complain bitterly, but it puts doubt to rest. Otherwise later the woman may claim my client isn't the father, destroying his confidence in paternity. I have had several cases where fathers chose to ignore paternity test results and accept the children as their own, often when they had several children and ended up with a mixed bag of children, some theirs, some those of other people. Unless my male clients are completely resistant to it, I recommend paternity testing as early as possible. The women complain bitterly, but it puts doubt to rest. Otherwise later the woman may claim my client isn’t the father, destroying his confidence in paternity.

I have had several cases where fathers chose to ignore paternity test results and accept the children as their own, often when they had several children and ended up with a mixed bag of children, some theirs, some those of other people.

]]> By: Shannon Jones, Esq. http://www.gregoryforman.com/blog/2009/11/whats-a-father/comment-page-1/#comment-616 Shannon Jones, Esq. Mon, 30 Nov 2009 17:35:35 +0000 http://www.gregoryforman.com/?p=1868#comment-616 I have a facinating set of facts in a case I'm currently handling that brings up this very issue in several ways. Two children born during the marriage, one of which is emancipated (I'll come back to that one in a minute). Second child was born during an extramarital affair and my client knew she wasn't his biological child. He took mom back after the affair and was the only "father" there for the child's birth. He allowed his name to placed on the birth certificate. Fast forward 11 years and now wife wants a divorce. The issue of child support is further complicated by the fact that the child is severely disabled and will always require financial support. Would you still hold him to his "agreement" to support by virtue of the birth certificate knowing the duty in this case will go beyond emancipation? Now back to the first child. She is emancipated, but Mother has recently alleged that she was also the product of an affair. Should my client ask for reimbursement of prior financial support? If the Mother's assertion is true, she is guilty of marital fault that has not been condoned which should bar alimony. I am currently wrestling with how to handle that issue - obviously I'd rather not make this grown "child" a party to the action to perform the necessary testing, but I a lot of money is on the line. Further thoughts, comments?? I have a facinating set of facts in a case I’m currently handling that brings up this very issue in several ways. Two children born during the marriage, one of which is emancipated (I’ll come back to that one in a minute). Second child was born during an extramarital affair and my client knew she wasn’t his biological child. He took mom back after the affair and was the only “father” there for the child’s birth. He allowed his name to placed on the birth certificate. Fast forward 11 years and now wife wants a divorce. The issue of child support is further complicated by the fact that the child is severely disabled and will always require financial support. Would you still hold him to his “agreement” to support by virtue of the birth certificate knowing the duty in this case will go beyond emancipation?

Now back to the first child. She is emancipated, but Mother has recently alleged that she was also the product of an affair. Should my client ask for reimbursement of prior financial support? If the Mother’s assertion is true, she is guilty of marital fault that has not been condoned which should bar alimony. I am currently wrestling with how to handle that issue – obviously I’d rather not make this grown “child” a party to the action to perform the necessary testing, but I a lot of money is on the line.

Further thoughts, comments??

]]> By: Tom Doyle http://www.gregoryforman.com/blog/2009/11/whats-a-father/comment-page-1/#comment-612 Tom Doyle Thu, 26 Nov 2009 16:41:19 +0000 http://www.gregoryforman.com/?p=1868#comment-612 What if the mother doesn't know that the father isn't the bio-father? Is the woman obligated to share that possibility? What if the mother doesn’t know that the father isn’t the bio-father? Is the woman obligated to share that possibility?

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