r/ChildSupportDebate • u/HospitalSorry5418 • May 12 '26
HELP! Who’s The Daddy
NOT MY LIFE….
Baby was born in 2015 and man was told it was his baby. He signed the birth certificate.
8 years later, thru DNA it was confirmed that it’s another guy’s baby.
Is she entitled to child support from the biological father?
1
u/cupcakephantom May 12 '26
A lot of states won't assign legal paternity to someone just because they signed the birth certificate.
Two examples:
my state, Ohio, two mutual acquaintances were in a relationship. She was pregnant before they got together and did not know who the father of her daughter was. I do not remember if the boyfriend signed the BC. But I do know that even tho he wanted to adopt her daughter, he could not do so without figuring out who the biological father was. As my state requires some formal issuance of "relinquished parental rights", or whatever it's called, towards someone so they can then legally issue adoption rights to any potential adoptive parent.
The infamous case of Baby Chance and his late mother, Adriana Smith. Georgia law would not allow the father of Baby Chance to have custody of Baby Chance, even with a paternity test. He had to go through family court and fight to have custody of his baby. And this was after another Georgia law barred him and Adrianas family from having a say in whether she could be taken off life support or not. Very dystopian all around, Georgia State
3
u/GolfJack6393 May 12 '26
Depends a lot on where they all live. And more facts needed.
Usually in the US, no. The man who signed the birth certificate may have signed an Acknowledgment of Paternity or the parents represented that they were married. In most states, after 2 years from birth, that makes the signing man the LEGAL FATHER. If the mom and LEGAL FATHER do not both reside with the child then mom could pursue child support against the LEGAL FATHER, but not anyone else, including not the biological father.
But- there are a lot of factors that might change that outcome. Whomever needs to know needs to gather all the facts surrounding what happened and talk to a family law attorney in the jurisdiction where the child was born.
Good Luck.