Legal Question in Family Law in Michigan
Paternity and Perjury
My fiance is pregnant with the child of a previous relationship. The father has expressed little desire to ever be involved and she is contemplating puting my name on the birth certificate instead of his so that I would have all the Paternal rights. However I would have to sign a Declaration of Paternity, if down the line the biological father tried to get rights to the child and took it to court than (1) could he compel the judge to force a dna test to prove he was the father? and (2) what punishment would I face for lying on a legal document? Thanx for any help we have been having a hard time with this issue.
1 Answer from Attorneys
Re: Paternity and Perjury
You should not lie or cheat. You should consult with an experienced family law attorney to assist with this matter. If the biological father doesn't want to be involved, the court may agree to terminate his parental rights and let you adopt the baby if you and the mother get married. If you don't get married, you should not be the baby's father of record.