Should paternity tests be mandatory for all children born in the U.S.?

Question

I am a woman and I think men who pay child support for children later proven not to be theirs should receive compensation. Am I wrong?
A paternity test would establish paternity from the beginning and eliminate alot of hurt later on down the road.

Answer 1

I think this is a good idea, like making fingerprints and keeping dental records.
This should be done as soon as the child is born, at the hospital.

Call it "The Certificate of Paternal Authenticity".

Answer 2

A DNA test costs about $100, who is going to pay for that? If it's mandatory would the city or state be required to do incur the costs of such exam for every child born? That would be highly expensive and it would be ridiculous to assume that a mandatory test would be paid by the women or men if they did not want that test in the first place. So who is going to pay for it? I wouldn't want more government intervention as a person who believes in small government. You do have a valid point though. I read article like this in Men's Health Magazine ( I like to read men's magazines, so sue me) and it said that about 1 million American men are raising children that are not their own. This is called Paternity Fraud or discrepancy. There was even a case of man who had raised 2 children in his own marriage that were not his! He found about 18 years too late. And this is only in the U.S. so we can only assume how many men around the world are being duped. The worse thing about it is that it seems everyone knew about it except the man including the family doctor! The men were lied to and treated like morons throughout the whole ordeal. The problem is also that as you said if paternity fraud is discovered after the man signs the birth certificate and a number of years go by there is really nothing that can be done for him to remedy that. He is stuck paying child support bills unless the real father steps up to the plate. Still, in this article there were some men who said they would refuse such tests. I guess some are idiots. Or perhaps they feel it's a threat to their masculinity. But I would suggest that if for ANY reason a man wants to do a paternity test he should be allowed to before he signs the birth certificate and the woman should not put up a barrier between that. The article is below, it's a bit lengthy but informative and entertaining.

Answer 3

I do not think that they should be mandatory. Paternity tests are part of the court orders for child support cases, even if both parents are positive of the paternity. I know; I went through the whole thing myself. They don't even begin any order proceedings until paternity has been established. If a man chooses to help a child without going through the courts and without verifying the paternity of the child, then good for him, but that is his own error if it turns out to not be his child.

Answer 4

There are times when the man who has taken the role of father really doesn't want to know. I know of a case where the husband has questioned the paternity of his daughter. However he loves the little girl. In the ways that are important he IS her dad. Unless the parties involved ask for a paternity test, let sleeping dogs lie.

Answer 5

You are speaking of persons who divorce, aren't you? To expect a nation to make a law that requires each & every child born in this country to have their paternity suspect is ludicrous, to say the least! That is an insult to almost every Mother in the country. Of course there are some women who have cheated & lied but for the most part I believe that women want their children to know their real Father. Most of the problems arise when the Father dosen't want to claim his own child!

Answer 6

No, because children are expensive enough as it is. Also you would have the problem of a huge government beauracracy to administer funds to socially and econmically disadvantaged families who can't afford paternity test.

People who fall victim to the family court system are screwed anyway. I think anyone who receives child support from some one who is not the father should have to pay double restitution and then face criminal charges on fraud.

Incidentally, why are non payers reffered to as "Dead Beat Dad's" when woman ordered to pay child support default at a much higher rate?

Answer 7

These days, almost EVERY court requires a paternity test for an order of child support. There are ways around it, such as the father placing his name on the birth certificate and caring for the child as his own for a few years, etc.

Answer 8

The bigger issue is if a woman is saying a guy is the father of her child, he should be smart enough to demand a paternity test to prove it. In the end, the child has the right to know who their real father is and be supported by him instead of the woman picking who is the biggest chump of the three guys she slept with.

Been there, done that. Thank God she was wrong!

Answer 9

Absolutely right! How many times have we seen that the man the woman claims to be the father, isn't the father. By having ALL newborns DNA taken, even tho the mother and father are married, not only would eliminate allot of hurt, but it would probably stop allot of married women from having sex with any man that comes to visit her. As a 73 year old retired contractor, I cannot tell you how many married women I could have had sex with! (I won't tell you how many invites I accepted).

But, the point is, (no pun intended), I believe paternity testing would prevent many unnecessary divorces, infidelity, and unwanted children to be born due to showing who the father is not!

Sidebar: I am also thinking of putting in my will, a required paternity test to see if my children are really mine. Trust me, I have good reason to say that. My ex. "s trustworthiness leaves allot to be desired. If the tests prove that I am not the father, then that child and his offspring would be omitted from the proceeds of the estate.

Answer 10

No. I don't like anything being mandatory.
If people kept their clothes on and didn't fall into bed at the blink of an eye, there wouldn't be so much need for paternity testing.