Whenever a person is legally identified as the parent of a child, that person is typically obligated to pay support if he or she is the noncustodial parent. However, this obligation to pay child support for a child is not always so cut and dried. Pennsylvania parents may be interested in the recent case of a man facing jail time over failure to pay child support for a child he did not father.
The man took a DNA test to prove that he is not he biological father of the child in question. Despite this fact, it has been determined that he owes $30,000 in back due support. This is because he is listed on the birth certificate as the father of the child.
The mother says she wrote the man’s name down on the birth certificate because a name is required in order to receive welfare benefits. The man turned himself in, knowing jail time may be a possibility. For the time being, the man will remain out of jail, and he worries about this kind of situation unfolding for other men.
The consequences of unpaid child support in Pennsylvania can involve jail time, wage garnishment and/or loss of a driver’s license. Anyone having child support issues, whether that person is the parent seeking payment or the parent who is accused of not paying as ordered, will likely benefit from advice concerning applicable laws and how a favorable resolution may be sought. For those who contend they are not the biological parent, DNA tests can be the first step toward a resolution that may be fair and just in the eyes of the law.
Source: pix11.com, “Man facing jail time for not paying child support–for son who’s not his“, Jan. 26, 2015
