Legal Question in Family Law in Maryland
A couple of years ago, I father a child out-of-wedlock.
I have been legally recognized as the child's father, and have been paying child support without fail. However, for various reasons, I have no real relationship with the child, and this is highly unlikely to change.
Do I have to leave the child anything in my will? If I don't have to leave her anything, should I explicitly state in the will that I leave her nothing, or is simply not mentioning her at all sufficient?
If it matters, the child is under 18. She is being raised by her mother (in Maryland). I am unmarried, and have no other children.
1 Answer from Attorneys
You really should have your Will prepared by an attorney. You are not required to leave your child(ren) anything. However, the language has to be correct or you chance your Will being challenged (called a caveat) after your death. A caveat action can be very - very - expensive and can result in diminishing your final assets and changing the distributions you initially wanted, if the action is successful. I cannot stress enough that you should have your Will prepared by an attorney. Please feel free to contact me if I can be of assistance.
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