Court Allows Man to Seek Money from 'Daughter's' Biological Dad

[Snake Alchemist]

A man who discovered that the daughter he raised was not really his can sue the biological father for $190,000 -the estimated cost of raising her for 15 years - the Connecticut State Supreme Court has ruled.

Eric Fischer saw the red flags. When his youngest daughter was born, his wife Pamela Tournier's close friend and business partner Richard Zollino rode home in the limo with the new parents. For the next 15 years, Zollino was omnipresent at the girl's musical recitals as well as her eighth grade graduation. And his youngest daughter did not look like his other two daughters, including one from a previous marriage.

Fischer decided to confirm what he already suspected. He "surreptitiously obtained" a hair sample from his daughter and sent it to lab with his own DNA sample and in October 2006, he received the results that "excluded the possibility that he was the younger daughter's father," according to a court document.

Fischer confronted his wife and they divorced in 2007.

http://news.yahoo.com/court-allows-man-seek-money-daughters-biological-dad-184320957--abc-news.html

Seems like the wife would also be liable.

[FarCenter]

1. They should always do the DNA tests before issuing the birth certificate.

It would prevent a lot of uncertainty.

[Snake Alchemist]

6. That seems like it should be standard practice. nt

[FourScore]

23. It sounds like a good idea, but you probably run into some real privacy issues.

Would you want your DNA info on file from birth on?

[Snake Alchemist]

26. conflicted

Would do wonders for crime investigation. Also some horrible possible consequences.

[FarCenter]

28. Yes, the DNA of the father, mother and child should become part of the birth certificate record

I went to get the long form birth certificate for a child yesterday for a passport. It is pathetic. There is nothing that proves anyone is anyone. No pictures, fingerprint, footprint, etc.

It just says that a baby with a certain name was born to parents with certain names at a place and time years ago. It is almost useless as identification.

[Snake Alchemist]

29. Our identification system in the US is pathetic in general. nt

[LetTimmySmoke]

24. I agree. It's 2012.

We need to have basic genetic info on birth certificates anyway, for medical reasons.

[Beaverhausen]

2. Sorry but that guy is an asshole

Why did he wait so long?

[Snake Alchemist]

4. Who?

The dad that didn't know?

[Bruce Wayne]

7. Way too harsh, Beaverhausen.

It takes a while for a child's looks to evince themselves. The man sounds like a devoted father. I'm not sure of the merits of the caselaw--family law can vary wildly from state to state. Certainly his emotional attachment to his daughter can explain a natural reluctance to confront a thorny issue about the child he was raising as his own.

Still, regardless of the delay, the standard here must be "the best interest of the child." For instance here in Gotham, even if you're not the biological father, you still have a fiduciary responsibility to care for the wellbeing of any children produced by your marital union. But in this case it seems pretty clear the bio-daddy here knew exactly whose distaff the girl was and yet consciously chose not to provide for her. That too is a dereliction of paternal duty.

Throw the book at him, I say. Past child support shouldn't be based on the money spent, but on the income of the sperm donor. Let justice be done.

[Snake Alchemist]

10. I would just add that it seems like the mother would also owe something.

She appears to have known the whole time and allowed the biological father to linger around all the daughter's life events.

[Bruce Wayne]

12. If she's a good mom, I'd almost want to give her a pass on this.

It could be argued her lying to her husband was also protecting the daughter. I repeat, "almost." Great Scott, what a mess!

[Snake Alchemist]

14. You could be right.

But letting the other guy just linger around and drive them home from the hospital is just creepy.

[Honeycombe8]

21. He's suing for cost of raising the daughter. The wife has already paid her half, since she, too...

raised the daughter with the man who is suing.

[Snake Alchemist]

25. that makes sense

She just seems so slimy though.

[Beaverhausen]

18. being a father means more than just being the "sperm donor'

He raised the girl as his own for 15 years then seems to have thrown her aside. That is an asshole in my opinion.

[Snake Alchemist]

19. where exactly did he throw her aside? nt

[JVS]

22. I'm going to guess that someone was concealing the information from him

[ZombieHorde]

3. Interesting. I wonder if the bio-dad knew he was the father.

Pretty lame for all four people involved.

[Snake Alchemist]

5. Sure sounds like it. nt

[Bruce Wayne]

8. The limo ride home is a big hint.

But don't call him any kind of "dad." The man who claimed and helped raise her is her dad; the other guy is just a sperm donor.

[Snake Alchemist]

9. I especially like how the other guy conveniently showed up to all the daughter's events. nt

[Bruce Wayne]

11. This is all kind of personal to me.

I recently found out that I fathered a child with a woman I'd had an ill-advised fling with (her father utterly hates me). I mean, it's a little embarrassing to admit it around the office. But family matters, dammit. What kind of man doesn't claim and care for his own? No kind of man at all.

In my case, the mother wasn't in a good position to raise him, so now I have a kid to raise. I may not make the perfect decision every time, but you have to adapt and do the right thing. I don't regret a second of it, except of course the part about not knowing for ten years that I had a son to carry on my name. Embarrassments & awkward questions faded with just a little time. Blood is forever.

[ecstatic]

13. Congrats and good luck! nt

[Snake Alchemist]

15. Yikes. Reminds me of a buddy.

He visited Kentucky and had a roll in the hay with a girl he met on vacation. Goes back 4 years later and has a 3 year old son presented to him.

[WonderGrunion]

16. Are you doing anything about Damien Wayne's anger issues yet?

For those who don't realize you're lifting a Batman script.

[OKNancy]

17. LOL - clever

I had to wiki Damien Wayne.

[PassingFair]

20. "...but don't call him any kind of "dad". Call him Mr. Schwarzenegger!

How terrible for the kid!

[JI7]

27. Does he not love his non Bio Daughter ?

do they not have a relationship ?