REMO Advice - One Night Stand from 2 Years ago Abroad

CSA_Help

johnson12 wrote: »

Sorry to bump up this old thread. I didn’t really know what to do so kind of tried to run away from this situation by not doing anything and hoping for the best.

This morning at work I received the following letter in the post addressed to my office address from the girls Lawyer in Botswana:


Re: DEMAND FOR MAINTENANCE FOR THE MINOR CHILD XXXXXX
1. Reference is made to the above matter.
2. We advise that, we act for XXXXXX, the mother and guardian to your child XXXXXX.
3. Our instructions are that, you and XXXXXX had a love relationship, consequent to which you engaged in unprotected sex resulting in her getting pregnant and giving birth on the 26 May 2009.
4. We are also instructed that, you have refused to take responsibility by supporting the child.
5. ln terms of the laws of Botswana you have an obligation to support the child that you have brought to this world. ln other words it is not for you to decide whether you would support or not.
6. We therefore on the basis of what we state above, demand maintenance in the sum of 3,000.00 Pounds Sterling equivalent, the first payment to be made to client’s account at Standard Chartered, Account No. XXXXXXX, Gaborone, Botswana.
7. We advise further that, in the event you have a counter-proposal on the amount of maintenance, we are open to discussion.
8. Should you decide not to comply with our demands we shall have no choice, but institute court proceedings and hold you liable for legal costs.
9. Our email address appears on this letter, we would appreciate your response as soon as possible.


I have to admit I am completely panicking now. Haven’t got a clue what to do. Can the Botswana court order me to pay £3,000 and court costs and have this enforceable by a UK Court?

Do I write back to the lawyer telling them that they should go through REMO and that way I can get a DNA test, etc?

From your previous post the dates still dont add up

No joke - getting the dates right whilst typing my post wasn't my priority. The Madrid trip was in October '07.

yet the child was born 26 May 2009.

18 month pregnancy

Was it a premature elephant (22 months):rotfl:

johnson12_2

CSA_Help wrote: »

From your previous post the dates still dont add up

No joke - getting the dates right whilst typing my post wasn't my priority. The Madrid trip was in October '07.

yet the child was born 26 May 2009.

18 month pregnancy

Was it a premature elephant (22 months):rotfl:

Typo - October 2008.

romanempire

1. DO NOT PANIC.

2. Deny everything.

When in Oct 07 did you have your bit of rumpy pumpy? Because they have now given you a DOB and by my (admittedly simple) calcs that baby was 1 to 2 months prem. Whoops, just reread their letter - that sure was a long pregancy! :T So lets assume they (or you) mis-typed the letter and it should really say 26 May 2008. Not impossible for it to be yours but certainly suspect. So deny its yours and demand a (UK) DNA test.

The other thing is that letter reads like a 419 scam letter.

BTW - DO NOT PANIC.

R.

FBaby

romanempire wrote: »

The other thing is that letter reads like a 419 scam letter.

It certainly does, very much so...that sudden demand of £3,000 just like that, very rounded amount, no explanation to the sum with the provision of an account number, scam scam scam.

Most likely, her uncle/cousins/mother/brother are behind it, she mentioned you, and they thought 'here come our next victim'. For all you know, she is a happy single woman still in South Africa.

Whatever you do, DO NOT SEND MONEY. They will ask for more and more and more with bigger threats every time.

romanempire

For all you know she slept with a dozen blokes on that trip and they've all got a letter. DNA test is a must.

R.

CSA_Help

johnson12 wrote: »

Typo - October 2008.

Sorry for poking fun

I would seek as much help as you can regarding this. Would this be a one of payment or continuing payment. I'd maybe get a free 30 minute session with a legal expert. If you do respond in such a way could it be you are admitting it. Id see what arangements are in place for a DNA test first of all

RAS

DNA test before you agree anything.sd

This is basically a wallet-lightening exercise. Also remember this is a letter from a "lawyer" not from a court. May just be a frightener.

I would start by denying that you had a "love relationship"!, if only because a 1 night stand is not love and asking for the DNA test.

Round_The_Bend

Sorry, this may be pretty obvious but have you googled the alleged lawyer's details to see if s/he and his/her company is genuine? I imagine by googling, you should be able to obtain more information about child support regulations in Botswana. Finally, as others have highlighted, the actual letter doesn not sound particularly professional, so I would certainly be concerned that it is a scam.

FBaby

If you ask for DNA, make sure it is through a secure source, not one of the 'lawyer' 'medical' friend....

postie_bear

I know how you feel, i was faced with something similar a few years ago,

3 yrs ago i was contacted by an ex partner to tell me i had a 11 yr old child.

I was with the partner for 2 months and she told me at the time she was pregnant but did not want the child so had an abortion, i later found out she was with 3 other people at the same time.

I have also moved on and have been promoted several times so cannot help wondering why now.

to date i have not been contacted by the csa but it is nice to know they can only back date this to the date the csa contact me. As i was fearing an 14 yr back payment.

I have never been asked for a DNA test only some medical history, to see if the child was mine as the child suffers an allergy.

I was told the child had no idea that the person they think is their father is not their father and it was to remain that way.

I changed my email account soon after and lost touch, she has now got in touch through my parents demanding that the child wants to meet me and the child wants to know why i do not want anything to do with them.

How do you explain that the child is a stranger and i still have no proof that it is mine.

PB