[Kay101]

My daughter is 9 years old. When she was born I was not married and I didn’t put anyone on the birth certificate because I was unsure of who the father was. One guy didn’t want anything to do with us and the other lived out of state at that time. Well three years pass and the guy that lived out of state came back. We started seeing each other and got married, had another child. My daughter looks just like him so we assumed she is his. He has been there since he found out about her 6 years ago. He is now on the birth certificate. We never had a DNA test done. Now the other guy wants to be part of her life. He has not seen her in 9 years. What do I do? Does he have any rights to her? Do I have to let him see her?

[aaron]

If the other guy wants to establish paternity and visitation rights, he needs to bring a paternity action under the laws of your state.

[lwpat]

You do not have to let him see her. He can bring a paternity action but since he has not done anything in 9 years he has little chance of success.

[runyon74]

Are you saying that if a man files a paternity suit 9 years later having never been a part of the childs life or offering any support that there is a possibility that he may not be successful in his suit? Even if he is proven to be the dad?

[aaron]

He's questioning, I believe, whether the court would permit him to dispute the previously paternity after waiting nine years without acting. Laws are different in each state, so nobody here can say.