Little Ferry, NJ asked in Family Law for New Jersey

Q: Paternity

I signed the birth certificate for a child that I now believe it’s not mine. I found out during my relationship with his mother, that she was unfaithful. She is coming after me for child support, but I would like to establish paternity.

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2 Lawyer Answers
Richard Diamond
Richard Diamond
Answered
  • Short Hills, NJ
  • Licensed in New Jersey

A: Under the law, you have the right to file an application with the court to determine the child's paternity. As part of that application, you will need to provide as much detail as possible to support your claim that you may not be the child's biological father since you already signed the birth certificate. My suggestion is that you hire a competent family law attorney to handle the matter because if you file it on your own and the application is denied, you may not get another chance. Food for thought.

Bari Weinberger
Bari Weinberger
Answered
  • Parsippany, NJ
  • Licensed in New Jersey

A: Thank you for stating your concerns. Since she is coming after you for child support, I would recommend for you to file an application with the court seeking to establish paternity by way of DNA. The sooner you do this the sooner you will find out if this child is yours and depending on the outcome the test, your rights and options can be revisited. Best of luck.

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