Men who are not married and have children face enormous obstacles if they want to be parents. They have to establish their parental rights. At times those rights need to be enforced by a court.
Unmarried dads may want to consider getting a paternity test if there are concerns that he may not be a child’s biological father especially if the child’s mother has told him he is not the father. A paternity test solidifies once and for all any question of the unmarried dad being the child’s biological father. A parent challenging a paternity test has the right to contest the results in court by and through a jury trial.
Unmarried dads who are unsure of being a child’s biological father can face some serious legal hurdles. If a man goes to court and gets legal rights established, he may have a legal obligation to pay child support to the mother even if it is later determined he is not that child’s biological father.
On the other hand, a paternity test can establish a man as the biological father if the mother does not know for certain that he is the father. Or, out of pain or anger the mother may not tell him he may be that child’s biological father. A child may grow up never knowing who his or her biological father is and the biological father may miss out on being a part of his or her child’s life. A paternity test helps him seek legal custody, physical custody and parenting time.
Minnesota law states a man is presumed to be a child’s biological father if the child is born during a marriage even if the child was conceived with another man. The husband may have to financially support a child that is not biologically his.
Parents having questions about paternity should speak with a family law attorney to discuss how to proceed and how Minnesota paternity laws affect his or her situation.