Paternity Fraud Claims in Oklahoma
When parents decide to file for a legal divorce, the courts will need to make decisions regarding child custody and child support payments. These decisions can dramatically affect who pays the other parent and who raises the child. Paternity is something that can be used only by the father to obtain full custody of the child. This is why paternity is often abused by forging a fake paternity test or affidavit acknowledging paternity.
If you suspect that your husband has done this, you can speak with a divorce lawyer about obtaining compensation for any monetary losses you may have suffered from the court order based on a fraudulent paternity order.
Oklahoma Paternity Laws
Oklahoma’s laws on child custody state that even if the child was born outside of marriage, the mother of that child still has custody rights. However, the father can attempt to gain custody if he files a petition for custody to the court. The paternity test or affidavit acknowledging paternity is an effective tool for the father to establish full custody of his children. An affidavit acknowledging paternity must be signed by the father and mother to be accepted. This form must also be notarized. This is often done soon after the child’s birth, but this does not automatically grant the father full custody. A paternity case still needs to be filed.
Motives for Paternity Fraud
When a father is desperate to gain full custody of his children, he may fake a paternity test or forge a paternity affidavit. This desperation could be emotional in that he does not want to lose his children or could be for financial reasons. Some divorces can end with child support payments that destroy the father’s finances. If the father lost his job right before the divorce in court, faking paternity may be his only way out of a financial crisis.
When Can You File for Paternity Fraud
Anytime you discover something off about paternity documents or if you know for a fact that your husband is not the father of your children, but he filed for paternity and won, then you should speak with a lawyer who practices family law. A lawyer will be able to help you file claims for reimbursement of child support, reversing property settlements, and compensation for any other money you may have lost from a court deal based on fraud. This is called misattributed paternity, which means the title of the biological father was wrongly claimed by a non-biological parent.
Where to Find a Divorce Lawyer
If you were cheated out of a fair divorce deal in court because of misattributed paternity, then do not hesitate to call an Oklahoma City divorce lawyer who will work with you to make things right. A divorce lawyer will be able to collect the evidence you need to prove that the paternity documents were faked. Contact Putnam Law Office at (405)-849-9149 for consultation regarding your divorce situation. Mr. Putnam is an Oklahoma City, OK attorney who puts clients first and will work with you to protect your rights and finances.