Most non-custodial parents in Pennsylvania do not have a problem when it comes to providing for their children. However, they may be interested in the story of a man in another state who is completely stunned over a ruling affecting the child support he pays for a boy he once believed was his son. The laws on child support in that particular state leave the man no room for an appeal.
The man and his girlfriend began dating when they were in high school, and they decided to marry when she found out she was pregnant. The marriage did not last, and they divorced not long after the baby was born. For a reason not given in a report on the case, the man decided to run a paternity test. He even ran it twice to be sure, and the results were the same. He was not the boy’s biological father.
When the man took his argument to a judge, he was originally told he could stop making the support payments. However, a closer look at the state’s laws revealed that a man is legally considered to be a child’s father after the child turns two years of age. Because of this regulation, the man was not only ordered to continue to pay the $500 in support each month, he also has to pay $15,000 in support not paid in the past.
Every child deserves to have financial support that covers at least the basics of food, medical care and clothing. Unfortunately, that is not always a priority for non-custodial parents. Pennsylvania parents with primary custody who are having trouble getting an ex to pay his or her share of child support will want an attorney who knows the laws of the state and who will be the advocate in any issues that may arise.
Source: nydailynews.com, “Okla. man forced to pay child support for boy who isn’t his son“, Meg Wagner, Jan. 14, 2017
