Do you have to be a child's biological parent to be forced to pay child support?

sulphate

Batman_100 wrote: »

I've offered to pay a voluntary contribution of £20 a month to her daughters trust find until she's 18, but my ex says this isn't good enough.

Honestly this is unbelievable. You should be commended for paying anything at all.

It sucks that she can't get the real father to pay upkeep for his own child but she isn't your financial responsibility.

Batman_100

justontime wrote: »

Are you named as the father on the child's birth certificate? If you are I believe CSA can assume parentage, but even so you could request a DNA test and prove that you are not the father.

Parentage isn't in doubt. My ex was already pregnant with her little girl when we first met and we didn't start going out till about a year later.

Batman_100

sulphate wrote: »

Honestly this is unbelievable. You should be commended for paying anything at all.

It sucks that she can't get the real father to pay upkeep for his own child but she isn't your financial responsibility.

I think she's just annoyed that I don't want to pay money direct into her bank account cus she'll probably just spend it on nights out and shopping trips etc... I thought paying into a trust find was the next best option.

Tracking down the real dad is a problem. We know that he's moved out the area, and his extended family won't give us any details. I had a chance meeting with a mutual friend about a year ago and he said he was thinking about emigrating to Australia, but we don't know this for sure.

justontime

Batman_100 wrote: »

Parentage isn't in doubt. My ex was already pregnant with her little girl when we first met and we didn't start going out till about a year later.

Then you don't have anything to worry about. If she tries to open a child support case claiming that you are the child's father you simply deny paternity. If she tells the truth that you are not the natural father they will tell her that she can not open a case against you.

Just-asking_4

Being realistic. She has moved on with a new man and has a new family, you will no doubt do the same, find a new girl, maybe start a family. It seems she doesn't really want you to have contact if she is saying it will be down to her what/where/how etc so if this contact with the daughter isn't going to continue long term, due to life moving on, yours and hers, then i'd just move on myself.

She is trying to control you and take your money for a child that isn't yours. It's nice that you offered, but even your offer has been thrown back at you and she is demanding more, threatening court etc and the child isn't even yours.

The child now clearly has a new father figure. The mothers attitude is disgusting. She has no hold on you emotionally or financially and she seems keen to cause you problems, when she has no reason to do this to you whatsoever.

I would honestly just move on. She is trying to cause the hassle for you that should have been intended for the real father, and you do not deserve that.

FBaby

Surely the most important question to ask in this circumstances is what relationship do you want or not to have with the child. Do you consider her your daughter? Would you be totally distraught if you could never see her again?

If you are happy to move on and forget about her, then tell your ex to get lost.

If however you want to continue to build a relationship with her, then you need to decide what terms YOU would want. Personally, I think that either you need to commit 100% to you being a dad or if not, let it go as it will only confuse the child.

If you are prepared to be committed 100%, then you need to start by agreeing contact days and maintenance. If this is the way you chose to take, then it would be morally reasonable to pay as you would if you were her biological father (by the way, does the child knows you are not?).

Now that's when it gets more complicated because nrps already have very few control over exercising rights, but that would be even more the case with you not being the biological father as as such, you have no rights at all. To protect yourself if she didn't want to play ball with the arrangement, then I would suggest you seek the help of a family solicitor right away. Depending on all the circumstances, a family judge could grant you some rights as a father.

Ultimately, it all comes down to how attach you are to that child and how much you are prepared to fight for her as it could get very complicated and even costly, but at the same time, you never know what the future will be, and who knows, it could be your only chance to be a father and you could develop a very strong relationship with her that will mean everything to you.

HoneyNutLoop

According to this article (which includes law references) the answer to your question is "possibly, via the courts".
http://www.newlawjournal.co.uk/nlj/content/step-parents-family-or-legal-strangers

If it were me, I would be speaking to a family law solicitor around about now.

FBaby

You haven't directly replied as to whether you are in the birth certificate. It is illegal to put ones name on a birth certificate when that person is known not to be the biological father but it isn't uncommon practice because many people don't realise this. If you are on the birth certificate or opens another can of worms.

Morlock

justontime wrote: »

If she tries to open a child support case claiming that you are the child's father you simply deny paternity.

In which case he'll be liable for child support until it's proven that he isn't the father, of course he'll have to pay to prove it.

Voyager2002

FBaby wrote: »

You haven't directly replied as to whether you are in the birth certificate. It is illegal to put ones name on a birth certificate when that person is known not to be the biological father but it isn't uncommon practice because many people don't realise this. If you are on the birth certificate or opens another can of worms.

What he said about the background makes it obvious that he is not named on the birth certificate.