Full question:
If a mother of the child was with someone else (i.e., not the natural father of the child) during the months of pregnancy and 11 months after the child was born, and the child’s father did not have anything to do with the child during that time, will the father have to step in at this time? The child carries the natural father’s last name and also the natural father’s name is on the child’s birth certificate as the father.
- Category: Paternity
- Subcategory: Parental Rights
- Date:
- State: Pennsylvania
Answer:
If a man’s name is on the birth certificate and was not the mother’s
husband, then he must have signed an Acknowledgment of Paternity under
the circumstances you set forth. In such a situation the natural father has
all the rights and duties as to the child which he would have had if he had
been married to the mother at the time of the birth of the child, and the child
shall have all the rights and duties as to the father which the child would
have had if the father had been married to the mother at the time of birth.
In Pennsylvania, child support is payable until a child reaches eighteen years
old or graduates from high school, whichever occurs later. The Pennsylvania
Supreme Court declared that parents cannot be forced by a court to pay for
college expenses of a child unless the parent has signed a written agreement
providing for college support. However, a duty of support may continue
beyond the age of eighteen, if a child is unable to support himself or herself
because of a physical or mental disability. The amount of child support that
is payable in a case is based upon the monthly after tax incomes or earning
capacities of the child's parents.
This content is for informational purposes only and is not legal advice. Legal statutes mentioned reflect the law at the time the content was written and may no longer be current. Always verify the latest version of the law before relying on it.
