Who’s the Daddy?

Typically paternity work falls within two scenarios:

1. A child's father refuses to acknowledge that he is the father. This could be because he doesn't want to pay child support or because he doesn't want to face up to the responsibility of being a father. But in almost all circumstances, it is in the child's best interests to know who his or her father is. 

A mother can make an application to the Family Court for an order stating that the man is the child's father. Usually DNA testing will be ordered and these days, that is a pretty conclusive test. If you are eligible for legal aid, the cost of the DNA test will be covered.

2. A child's mother refuses to acknowledge that a man is the child's father. She may do this because she thinks it is better for the child not to have a relationship with the man. This is rarely true, even if the man was violent. In almost all circumstances, it is in the child's best interests to know who his or her father is.

A man who thinks he is the father of a child can make an application to the Family Court for an order stating that he is the child's father. Usually DNA testing will be ordered and these days, that is a pretty conclusive test. If you are eligible for legal aid, the cost of the DNA test will be covered.

Don't try and make these complex applications without getting legal advice first.

See my blog for more information about paternity applications in the Family Court.