States vary and all that but in every state I am familiar with, a child born to a married couple, with the husband's name appearing as father on the birth certificate, is assumed to be the father if no one contests it within a relatively short period of time (three months? six months?).
After that, the legal paternity is considered irrevocably established and no one else has standing to contest it.
So, for instance, when the child is five years old and the couple splits, the named father can't demand a DNA test or refuse to support the child based on a DNA test that shows he is not the father. It was a done deal years before.
Yep, there are several examples of this in my own family.
My cousin married a woman and then he got arrested a few months later.
When he got of jail after a year, he and his white wife had a not so white baby. :what:
The fact that he was in jail made no difference.
The fact that the child was obviously not white, made no difference.
They were legally married so he was legally the father.
It was NOT a nice situation at all.
I fully informed my daughter's her birth father. He chose not to be involved, he was busy getting married and adopting his stepdaughter.
There is no way I could have not informed her birth father. I feel guilty enough even knowing he is fully aware but doesn't know her.
My daughter's Dad signed the birth certificate and paternity declaration since we were not married.
After one year of NO contact with the biological father and proof he had been notified, he had no right to even ask for a DNA test.
However, if he ever wanted to get to know my daughter... I would be more than happy to allow him that.
He wouldn't be a father figure... but it breaks my heart that his family and his kids are missing out on my amazing girl. :twocents: