California parents concerned about paternity testing will want to review a case as it unfolds in another state. The issue is child support and the court recently handed down a ruling that caught many people by surprise. It all began when a man filed a petition for visitation to see the child he thought was his.
As is common in such cases, the judge overseeing the case ordered the man to take a paternity test. Before this time, the man had been paying more than $80 per month in child support. He says he did not mind doing so because he believed it was his obligation to financially provide for his child. Problems arose, however, when the paternity test showed the man in question was, in fact, not the biological father of the child after all.
The Department of Revenue filed an appeal on behalf of the state to request that the man continue paying child support. The man was surprised to learn that the court ruled in favor of the appeal. For now, he must continue making payments even though the child does not share his DNA.
The man said he was absolutely devastated to learn he was not the child’s father. He also said he does not understand why the court has decided that he should continue paying monthly child support. This type of case can be quite complicated from a legal standpoint, which is why it is always best that California parents facing similar circumstances seek support from an experienced child support law attorney rather than try to go it alone in court.