Paternity Test

You are asked to pay child support and you don’t know if you’re the biological father? What now?

The law requires that parents provide financial support for their child even if they’ve never lived with the child or the child’s mother. In order for the Court to order that you pay child support, it must be clear that you’re the biological father. In certain situations, the law presumes fatherhood. This presumption of fatherhood basically comes down to the nature of the relationship between the alleged father and the child’s mother and whether the alleged father has acknowledged that he is the father. If you meet the criteria and don’t challenge it, then you’re obliged to pay child support. You and the mother can either come to some agreement regarding the amount of child support or you the Court will make this determination on the basis of the Child Support Guidelines. These guidelines determine support on the basis of income and the number of children involved.

Do you meet the criteria and would like to challenge it? Or, you don’t meet the criteria and you don’t know if you’re the biological father?

In either situation, you would attempt to prove that you’re not the biological father. If successful, you’re not financially responsible for the child. You would do this through a paternity test. A medical lab would take blood samples or buccal swabs from all the parties and compare your DNA to the child’s DNA. It’s the most reliable way of determining parentage.

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