Florida Man Owes More Than $10,000 in Child Support Not the Father

[erpowers]

It is being reported by CNN that a Florida man is being forced to pay monthly child support of $305 and pay $10,000+ in back child support even though he is not the father of the child.


http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/07/11/paternity.cases/index.html

[qazplm]

1. it should be

that the clock starts once the putative father has received the paperwork.

[valerief]

2. Justice from Florida? The concept is unheard of. nt

[tammywammy]

Dupe

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x1323564

[JHB]

3. Already a thread on this

See below for other comments. Some people point out this may be a result of some welfare "reform" measures.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=1323564&mesg_id=1323564

[youngdem]

4. Family law is INSANE.

That is all.

[Warpy]

5. These cases are usually tougher than this one

where he didn't know the child existed until the lawsuit appeared, where DNA testing excluded him, and where even the girl's mother has withdrawn the claim. The Great State of Florida doesn't have a prayer. In no way could he ever have been considered a father in this case.

Less clear are the cases where men have raised children for many years as their own, only to find out there was another sperm donor. In those cases, fatherhood has meant the life bond, not the genetic one. Although the sperm donor can and should be sued for financial damages resulting from his careless deposit of his bodily fluids (mom generally having been discarded), the man who raised a child is its father in every meaningful way.

Perhaps what we need is a change of mindset among many men that raising a child is a privilege instead of a chore and a liability. Good luck to us on getting it.

[JVS]

6. Flee to Cuba and be free of the tyranny!

[TreasonousBastard]

7. He can't challenge this because he missed a paperwork...

deadline he didn't know about.

OK, we all understand you can't just ignore legal stuff without consequences, but it's gotten completely out of hand.

In two cases, the Supreme Court has said that execution is OK if evidence of innocence missed a deadline, so I would imagine paying child support you don't owe is OK by them, too.

And that we've been so obsessed with nailing deadbeat dads that we've forgotten that there are a few women who will lie and trap some guy, any guy, into paying.

With all the divorces and otherwise single mothers out there, how about coming up with a better way of supporting the kids than trying to find the fathers?

[benld74]

8. WTF!