When a child is born, the mother and father of that child generally have the opportunity to assign paternity voluntarily, without proving paternity with any kind of testing. This can create legal complications if the child’s paternity is later called into question, and in many cases, another father may have strong grounds to challenge paternity and claim some forms of parental rights to a child.
However, there are a limited number of justifications for challenging paternity that a court will consider seriously. If you are wondering whether or not you have grounds to challenge the paternity of a child, it is wise to do detailed research and use strong legal resources to help you build your case before you launch any legal actions. Even if your case is strong, it is not any easy process, so the more supporting evidence you can provide in your claim, the better.
Courts generally recognize several grounds for paternity challenges, including
- Proof that the assumed father is infertile or sterile
- Proof that lab tests confirming assumed paternity were subject to tampering
- Proof that the mother of the child committed infidelity against the assumed father, if they were married at the time of conception
- Inconclusive or tainted lab test results
- Evidence of fraudulent lab test results
If you believe that your own circumstances or those of someone you love reflect one or more of these grounds, then you may have the law on your side. However, challenging paternity is not something to take up without careful preparation. Make sure that you have a strong legal strategy in place beforehand to help protect your rights and privileges, and the rights and privileges of the child you love.