[balance]

Hi I am from MN, helping a friend understand the law and his situation.
OK he had an affair and a few months later found out the woman was pregnant. He wants to stay with his wife and they are working out their issues. He has serious doubts about the paternity of the baby based on the womans past and present life style. She has several children with several men all with similar situations that seem like trying to get pregnant to keep a man.
She has told him she would like him to sign some papers. He dosen't understand the legalities or speak fluently enough to know exactly what his options are or what these papers are all about. She claims they are to not collect child support. Which seems a little suspicious to him. He thinks she dosen't want the child support because she thinks the government assistance will benefit her more or be a for sure pay check instead of trying to collect child support (she recieves assistance for her other children). As in the past seems she has been with men who do not pay. So why does he need to sign???? if shes not looking for child support and with no paternity test? She hasn't mentioned anything about establishing paternity either?

So thats the basic background. He just wants to know what he can expect once the child is born. If there is such paperwork that she is referring to or is she just playing games with him? What happens if he signs but no paternity test is done. What happens if she pursues government assistance will they want to establish paternity? Or would they accept that she dosen't know who the father is or that she wants to waive his child support obligations?

Thanks in advance

[Mr. Knowitall]

Ask him to show you the papers, read them, and explain to him what they mean. We have no way of knowing what the papers say. He should not sign anything he does not understand.

If he acknowledges paternity or DNA testing shows him to be the father, he can expect to pay child support. The state won't care if the mother "waived" it.

[Xena]

Hi I am from MN, helping a friend understand the law and his situation.
OK he had an affair and a few months later found out the woman was pregnant. He wants to stay with his wife and they are working out their issues. He has serious doubts about the paternity of the baby based on the womans past and present life style. She has several children with several men all with similar situations that seem like trying to get pregnant to keep a man.
She has told him she would like him to sign some papers. He dosen't understand the legalities or speak fluently enough to know exactly what his options are or what these papers are all about. She claims they are to not collect child support. Which seems a little suspicious to him. He thinks she dosen't want the child support because she thinks the government assistance will benefit her more or be a for sure pay check instead of trying to collect child support (she recieves assistance for her other children). As in the past seems she has been with men who do not pay. So why does he need to sign???? if shes not looking for child support and with no paternity test? She hasn't mentioned anything about establishing paternity either?

So thats the basic background. He just wants to know what he can expect once the child is born. If there is such paperwork that she is referring to or is she just playing games with him? What happens if he signs but no paternity test is done. What happens if she pursues government assistance will they want to establish paternity? Or would they accept that she dosen't know who the father is or that she wants to waive his child support obligations?

Thanks in advance

He should NOT sign ANY papers at all. He should tell the mother that if she wants CS she will have to go through the court and have him legally served with the petition to establish paternity and CS.

When he is served, he needs to deny paternity and request that the court order a DNA test, which will definately be ordered. Once the results of the court ordered DNA come in, then he can decide what to do next.

[lwpat]

If she collects state aid she cannot waive the child support. He does not need to sign any papers even if he does understand them.