Paternity Fraud: Can You Avoid Being A Victim?
Recently, online especially youtube. There has been a lot of talk about paternity fraud and how men become victims of this act. Well, there is no one answer to the problem. Paternity Fraud, unfortunately, is allowed to exist because of the way the Parentage Act in America is constructed. For example, In the New Jersey parentage act, the mother has all of the power and control once a child is conceived. Meaning, the man has no say while the mother is carrying the child. The alleged father can only have some say in the upbringing of the child when the child is born and becomes its own physical entity. Depending on your relationship with the mother and the state in which you live. The alleged father’s involvement may still be questioned.
Nonetheless, this video is about how a man can avoid being a victim of paternity fraud. The first thing a man can do is learn the parentage laws of the state in which he resides. Having some understanding of parentage laws in your state will help to open your mind to how you may want to proceed with dealing with any woman you are interested in.
Every man when dating a woman of interest before sex gets involved should bring up the conversation about their criteria of having a serious relationship and mention if a child is conceived that he will perform a paternity test as soon as the child is born. After you mention this, it is important that you pay attention to her response and body language. This will be an excellent gauge for a man to consider whether he should move forward with this woman. Most women that I have encountered answered this question honestly. The truth of the matter is, they do not like the fact that I am hell bent on paternity testing a child as soon as he or she is born.
I know, I know, you are probably thinking. What if you and a female have a minimal conversational sexual fling. Since we are in the “doing me, let’s get it in, let’s not conversate much era. How can a man avoid paternity fraud if a child is conceived in this circumstance? If a child is conceived, Do not sign the Voluntary Acknowledgment of Paternity (VAP) form. Insist that you perform a paternity test before signing anything. Because of the circumstance of how you and the woman conceived this child. It is important to remember, you do not have to sign this form. There is no law stating that you do. The VAP form is the form that is responsible for your name being placed on the birth certificate. Therefore, if you do not sign VAP the alleged father cannot be held responsible for the child if you are not married to the mother of the child. Only a court order filed by the mother can initiate the process of establishing paternity.
The next thing a man can do is stop allowing their paternal emotions to get the best of them and try to use more logic when at the hospital for the birth of their alleged child. I know this is easier said than done but, it is important to note that Federal Government researchers call this moment when a man first meets a child he believes to be his own at the hospital “The Magic Moment”. These researchers have chosen this moment as the best time to present fathers with the VAP form. Again, it is important to note that the Voluntary Acknowledgment of Paternity is exactly what it says it is. Voluntary! What most men do not realize is when they sign this form they invite child support to come after their finances and it locks them into the system. If you read the fine print of a VAP form. It clearly states “by signing this form there will be consequences for signing this form”.
If most men read the fine print they would probably think twice before signing a VAP form. In fact, a hospital official according to Federal Guidelines is supposed to inform the new father verbally and show him a video of the pros and cons behind signing this document. In most instances, So I have been told by several men over the years that they signed the document without reading the Voluntary Acknowledgment of Paternity and, the hospital also did not mention the pros and cons of signing the Voluntary Acknowledgment of Paternity document. They only mentioned the pros. Now you probably asking yourself. Why some hospitals function this way with men. Well, the hospitals must follow the state’s protocol in which the state receives this protocol from the federal government. Sometimes, the staff at the hospital may be negligent in terms of following the Federal protocol completely. This may happen because getting fathers and the mothers to sign the VAP form means the hospital meets its quota and the state receives funding from the Fed. Failure to meet the quota means no funding for the state from the Federal Government.
Probably the best way to avoid paternity fraud is to practice abstinence. If abstinence is not an option than truly vetting a woman’s history and creating standards of what may be compatible for yourself to have a successful relationship is probably the best option next to abstinence. Another deterrent to being accused of paternity fraud should be consequences most females receive. Which in most instances is, None!
Is There Help For Victims of Paternity Fraud
The men who fall victim to paternity fraud could attempt to file a civil action in civil court to attempt to collect child support funds back from the child’s mother. Unfortunately, there are not many instances of success. Also, victims of paternity fraud should also consider going after the biological father of the child and sue him for reimbursement of monies spent on his child. The second option is seldom done and I have only heard of one instance in New Jersey where this happened but I do not know what the outcome was of the case.
Is it illegal to sign a birth certificate knowing you are not the father?
Technically, it is illegal to forge someone’s name on a document without their consent but, It should be damn near impossible for this to happen to an alleged father. The two places where the document is signed for a father’s name to place on the birth certificate is the hospital and Child Services. Remember earlier in this post I mentioned that the Federal Government has guidelines each state franchise must adhere too. Well, how the document is completed is apart of their guidelines. A father and mother are supposed to complete the VAP/Certificate of Parentage form completely in front of an eyewitness such as a hospital staffer or child services employee. If this the protocol was not followed and you can prove this to be true. The proof could be used as evidence in court on fraudulent behavior. Please seek the advice of a legal professional in your state in order to gain more of an understanding of fraudulent paternity practices in your state.
In closing, it is important for young men in today’s age to educate themselves on their state laws as it pertains to the establishment of paternity. Men will also have to be more strategic on the type of female they choose to mate with. Remember, regardless of your reason for hooking up with a female the opportunity to produce offspring is strong whenever you decide to have sexual intercourse with a female. If you would like to learn more about all this paternity and the paternity testing process. Please check out my new book on Amazon called Are You Or, Are You Not The Father? The Complete Question & Answer Guide To The Paternity Testing Process.
