First, he should request a DNA test. Don't take responsibility for a child that may not be his! Typically, from all of the cases I have seen, the only thing a judge may try to do if the child is his and he wants to make up for time missed, the judge may give extra visitation. She won't be punished (as unfortunate as it sounds). She'll probably say she wasn't sure it was his. If he is not deemed an unfit parent (person) he would get visitationHow does child support work in this case?
The court will order him to pay child support, most likely starting the date the petition was filed. They are not going to ';do'; anything to her for not telling him or not letting him see the child. He knew she was pregnant and he knew he had sex with her. He has always had the option of taking her to court to prove or disprove paternity. He freely CHOSE not to. Visitation is a separate issue. If he wants visitation, he needs to petition the court for it. Most likely, he will be given very little supervised visitation to begin with, because the child doesn't have a clue as to who he is. But eventually he will get regular unsupervised, overnight visits.
First one of them needs to request a paternity test. If it turns out its not his child,he does not have to pay for the test (that is how it is here at least). Both parties knew of the pregnancy so ignorance is no excuse. Just because he didn't want to know if it was his child, he could have requested a test at any time, so the judge could order retro child-support to the DOB. The childs mother could agree that she said it was not his and never informed him and maybe this would work but it is in the hands of the judge. Regardless, if the mother wants childsupport the father now gets visitation. Unless he is shown to be unfit. Child support is income based - it is also figured in if the father has other children to support. The easiest way is to get the payment deducted from his paycheck by his employer, the check sent to the mother. The court will be easily satisfied with this set up and be able to track all records.
First they will order her to get a DNA test then he'll have to pay child support and get visitation rights. Unfortunately, the courts don't care about the whole story they just like to stick it to guys especially and they charge back payments that begin on the date of birth of the child and that's that. I know it sucks!
He needs to ask for a DNA test and go from there. He can explain to the court about the situation and they consider his position.
Start with a DNA test. After that says yes, then you go from there. She will not get into trouble for waiting so long. I had a friend where the mom waited 10 years to tell him he had a son. When the parents were never married, and this is a support case only, not a divorce, visitation is not automatically addressed. This guy will have to request a visitation schedule in writing from the court. Meaning after he knows he's the dad he will have to file his own court docs asking for the visitation. IF he does NOT, she legally does not have to let him see/talk/have the child until he does, unless she feels like it. She will not get into trouble for any past refusals or failure to let him see the child, and she won't get into trouble for not letting him see the child now, unless there is a court order awarding him visitation. Visitation is a right, but you have to request it. It will always be granted unless the father is proven to be a danger to the child (i.e. drugs, alcohol, abuse, etc.) So he will not have to fight hard, but he will have to ask. Verbal requests will not be humored, only the things that are already in writing.
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