Deptford, NJ asked in Family Law for New Jersey

Q: I just recently found my biological father through Ancestry.com. What should I do next?

I just recently found my biological father through ancestry.com. what do you think I should do next? I already tried to reach out to the family and they said that he died already. Donald Trump said that anybody who found their dads during his presidency he would get at least $100,000 for. I saw it on TV. I did find him during that time. What do you think I should do next?

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1 Lawyer Answer
Richard Diamond
Richard Diamond
Answered
  • Short Hills, NJ
  • Licensed in New Jersey

A: Is this about getting the 100,000 or really trying to locate and connect with your biological parent?

If it's about getting a 100,000 payment, I don't think that it will occur. I have never heard anyone suggest that our government was/is planning to pay money to anyone who is able to locate a biological parent who disappeared from their life.

I don't know if your biological father took an ancestry test or if it was a relative of your biological father who took the test but my understanding is that once you take the test, it puts the information obtained into a universal data bank and when someone with the same genetic history submits his / her information, the results are made available to both parties.

I don't know if your biological father is alive, but you can look up his relatives and venture down that road to try and learn about him and his side of your family tree.... but not all ventures are worth the trip, and you may be very disappointed with the experience.

If you do go down that road, be emotionally prepared for it to be disappointing.

In maybe 5% of the cases, it can be a great experience (like on TV), but for the overwhelming majority of those seeking connection with their biological parents, it is a disappointing and painful experience.

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