Paternity and Child Support FAQs

Scarlet's Question: I've heard that the father of your unborn baby has to split the medical bills with you. How would I go about filing for that?

Brette's Answer: You need to file a case with the court to establish paternity and child support.

Rita's Question: I have a 2 year old son. I reunited with a man online who promised to take responsibility and pay support and he thought the baby was his. I just filed for child support and now he doesn't want to pay it. Can he be made to pay?

Brette's Answer: Paternity testing is the only way to know who the child's father is. If you honestly believe this man is your child's father, you can start a proceeding for paternity. If he is the father then you can file for child support. Note that if he is the father, he would have a right to seek visitation and possibly custody.

Lashonda's Question: I was with my ex for 14 years and I was abused. I got pregnant by somebody else and was scared to say anything. When the baby was born, my ex signed the birth certificate. Now we are no longer together. Can I petition the real father for child support?

Brette's Answer: You'll have to have a paternity test and paternity proceeding, but yes you can. If your ex-husband paid child support though, you may have a problem and have to repay it.

Tisha's Question: Will I qualify for child support if the father did not sign the birth certificate, but he is not denying the baby is his?

Brette's Answer: Yes, but paternity needs to be legally established first. Check with the court clerk about what you'll need to file first. Good luck.

Kristy's Question: My son's father and I are separated and he is not on my son's birth certificate. He takes him three nights a week. There is no court order put in place, that's just his choice. So basically he has him half the time. He doesn't pay any kind of child support and he doesn't think he should. If he has him half time is he still financially responsible?

Brette's Answer: It sounds like having things organized into a court order would make everything clearer for everyone. Yes, you would still be entitled to support for your child - the schedule you describe is not 50/50 and even if it were, child support could still be possible, depending on your state laws. Get an attorney if you can afford one.

Question: My husband had an affair with a married woman before we met and they conceived a child. The woman told her husband and he forgave her and decided to take on the child as his own. Her husband signed the birth certificate and took his last name. This child is now 7 years old and my husband has never seen her. He was never ordered to pay child support but pays on his own free will. We are thinking of having a child and the extra money could come in handy. She has since divorced that man and married another. Does my husband still owe support?

Brette's Answer: Since there isn't court-ordered child support he's not obligated to pay anything. And really I'm pretty surprised he's doing this voluntarily if he isn't even allowed contact and the husband is the legal father. If the woman wants to enforce child support, she would need to go to court and have paternity legally established and then seek an order for child support. Your spouse could also seek custody or visitation. I would be interested in knowing what her divorce settlement says with regard to paternity and child support! She could be double dipping - getting it from her ex and your husband.

Mary's Question: We have been together for 12 years. My youngest child was six month old when we met, and he has been the only father-figure in her life. Is he required to pay me child support?

Brette's Answer: Your husband is only required to pay support if he legally adopted your child.

Korina's Question: Is a man obligated to pay support if he signed the child's birth certificate. The DNA test shows that he is not the father.

Brette's Answer: If there's a paternity test showing he is not the father, it is very unlikely the court will hold he is the father. If a court rules he is not the father, he may have no obligation to pay child support.

Martha's Question: My ex was ordered to pay child support. He hasn't paid yet because he wants a DNA test. I have tried to set this up three times and he say that he wants the courts to deal with it. What should I do now?

Brette Answers: If you have a child support order, go back to court to enforce it. If he wants a DNA test it's up to him to tell the court that. Until then, he's legally responsible to pay the child support.

Question: My husband went to the courts to set up child support payments because he's not on the child birth certificate. However a blood test was not done and he says he's the father. Is that why the courts didn't do a blood test? He's still not paying child support.

Brette's Answer: If he admits paternity, a blood test is not required. Blood tests are used when paternity is disputed. If you want him to pay child support you'll need to file for it.

Trisha's Question: I was pregnant with another man's child before my husband and I got married. Since we've been separated, I applied at the CSEA to receive child support. He is going to contest it. I am wondering if I will have to pay the child support money back to him once it is determined that he is not the father?

Brette's Answer: It is possible. You should speak with an attorney in your state who can help you with this. One thing to remember is that whoever the biological father is can be ordered by the court to pay you and you could turn this money over to your spouse.

Pricilla's Question: My ex-husband had a baby with another girl during the time we were married. He never had a paternity test done and he kept denying the baby was his. But when it came time for the child support for our three kids, he then claimed the baby was his. Is there anyway I can have them do a paternity test on the baby?

Brette's Answer: If he has not legally admitted paternity (or had it determined by a court) he is not the legal father of that child and he cannot use this as a way to reduce his child support.