You were excited the day your child was born, but over time, you’ve found out more about your wife’s affairs before your child was conceived. Can you be sure that your child is actually related to you? Is it worth disrupting your family life to find out?
If you’re considering getting a divorce from your wife, now is the time to determine if you’re the father of your child. You need to establish paternity for a number of reasons, some of which are medical, legal and emotional.
1. Establish paternity for medical information
If your child is your biological child, then you know all there is to know about your health background, your wife’s background and your child’s risk of certain conditions. If it turns out that you are not the biological father, then it is important to find out who is for the sake of your child’s health.
2. Knowing definitively strengthens your relationship
You may not want to rock the boat, and knowing you’re not biologically related may not change how you feel about your child. Despite that, knowing that you are, indeed, the child’s father can strengthen the bond you have. The nagging question of whether or not you’re related will be dealt with, so you can focus on building a solid relationship and a truthful foundation.
3. Paternity testing guarantees benefits to a child
If you’re not the father of your child, then your child won’t have the right to collect benefits from you. If no one is established as the child’s father, then the child goes without the right to inheritance, life insurance, veteran’s benefits and other assets or benefits that can be sought through the parent-child relationship. Establish paternity early to make sure your child has access to all the benefits he or she deserves.
If you were married at the time of your child’s birth, it’s likely it’s been assumed you’re the father. A paternity test can set the record straight, so you can decide what to do from there.