Paternity is a serious and sensitive issue. For many Colorado residents, the subject can even be offensive. One author who recently wrote an article about paternity and family knows this all too well. His article garnered a number of comments, many of them negative. However, he adds that when it comes to paternity, a “game changer” may save parents, particularly fathers, from unnecessary trouble.
The author, a family law attorney, asserted that paternal identity is less certain maternal identity. Women are aware of sexual relations they had around the time of conception, but men may not be. However, such a premise is perceived by many people as offensive because it seems to question a woman’s “virtue.”
One reader who responded to the article described it as sexist. The reader stated that the virtue of fathers can also be questioned since a mother may not be aware of the father’s other sexual relationships or children. Other readers sided with the author, saying it is more offensive for a father to be assumed to be responsible for a child that is not necessarily his.
In the end, the author suggested his game changer in the form of a home paternity test. A father can verify paternity without sounding offensive. Although testing may seem sneaky to some people, paternity fraud is a growing concern among legal experts, and every father has the right to be 100 percent sure a child is his.
A home paternity test might be helpful for an individual, but dealing with paternity issues in general requires a more thoroughgoing approach. In similar situations, fathers in Colorado should seek to understand their family law rights. Paternity and child custody issues can be complex, but when it comes to ensuring the best interests of children and fathers, it is a worthy endeavor.
Source: The Huffington Post, “Is the Home Paternity Test a ‘Game-Changer?’,” Mark Baer, April 20, 2014