Your family is important to you, and you want to make sure that you do all you can to protect it. Unfortunately, you have been approached by someone who claims that a young child is yours, and it has caused your spouse a great deal of stress. As a man and father, you’re surprised to hear about this surprise child, especially since you haven’t seen the mother in years. Now, she’s seeking support and wants you to be involved in the child’s life, even though you’ve never met them.
In this case, it’s a smart move to turn directly to DNA paternity testing. Anyone can allege that you are the father of a child, but only DNA can give you the certainty that you need to know if it’s the truth or not. You might have dated someone or been sexually involved with an individual during the time when a baby was conceived, but there’s no guarantee that the child is yours if the mother was not monogamous.
If you’re approached and told you’re a child’s father, what do you do?
First, know that it’s okay to respond and say that you’ll take a DNA test. Don’t agree that you’re the father without this test because the entire situation is already unusual. Once you have the results, you can move forward. If you are the father, it’s at that point that you may want to see your child. If you aren’t the father, then you can walk away.
You may want to discuss the situation with your attorney if you are approached in this way. They can help you take legal steps to verify the other party’s claim.
