Combating Paternity Fraud

Paternity fraud isn’t new, but it is becoming a super-charged issue as fathers are chased by child support organisations to provide for children when a marriage or partnership breaks up. A man who is identified as the father of one or more children is required to give up a proportion of his income to support them. If, at a later date, he discovers that one or more of these children are not his, what does he do?

Why a DNA Test Can Help Paternity Fraud

At the first sign of doubt over paternity, it’s worth getting a paternity test. A complete proof of paternity one way or another will help a court or a collections agency to decide how to deal with support payments for any children involved in a dispute. For some these paternity doubts come as soon as the child is born, or even when it is conceived, whilst for others several years can pass before the mother alleges that the children belong to another man.

Getting a test as soon as possible will have several benefits including:

• Certain Knowledge – you will know whether or not you are the father of the child. A negative paternity test should mean that you no longer have to pay maintenance for the child, and you may even get an element of your previous payments refunded. A positive result enables you to be absolutely sure about your relationship to the child, so that you can participate fully in its welfare.

• Legally Accepted – even if you take your test for peace of mind, it’s worth using an accredited testing body. That’s because only results from an accredited tester are admissible in court. Should you want to use the results of your paternity test as part of a legal argument, make sure you use an approved testing body, and use an independent medical professional to take your sample, or you may have to pay to be re-tested.

Paternity Test – Why Paternity Fraud Exists

A mother who claims you are the father of one or more of her children when you are not, is likely to be deliberately manipulating the system in order to claim financial support from both you and the state. This is clearly paternity fraud, as you are being deceived into paying for children that are not yours. The system whereby fathers are required to support their children – a system which goes back to the 16th century – encourages mothers to do whatever they can in order to support their children. The big difference between paternity fraud and other fraud is the emotional tie-in that fathers have to their children. A paternity test is never just about the money; it is also about the relationship between father and child.