Legal Question in Family Law in Nevada

I believe I have an 18 year old daughter and want to know if I have any recourse toward the mother since she kept it a secret. I used to live with her (the mother) until my military term ended and I moved back to North Carolina. I stumbled upon her (the mother) 5-6 years later and she kept insinuating that I had a daughter until I ask her if I had a daughter and she said yes. I paid for a dna test and drove the 3 hour distance to see little Michelle. When the time came for the test the mother refused and said that she wasn't my daughter and she just wanted to see if we had a chance to get back together. At that time I was married and my wife said that if she were that we would seek custody and raise her because the mother wasn't a good mother. At any rate she refused the test and said that Michelle wasn't mine. 13 years later I find the mother on FaceBook and conversed. She started with the same story so since Michelle was an adult I went directly to her. She was obviously shocked and seemed not to want anything to do with me but recently friend requested me which leads me to believe that Michelle may be mine. The mother has filled Michelle's mind with untruths and she has stopped communicating with me. It's affecting my life and my work. Michelle would have been so much better off with me as her mother has had a reputation for dropping her kids off and spending most of her time in bars. Again, I would like to know if I have any legal recourse for this. The mother and my daughter live in Las Vegas and I live in North Carolina. Dale


Asked on 9/12/10, 3:45 pm

1 Answer from Attorneys
Marshal Willick Willick Law Group

Not sure what you mean by "legal recourse." To do what? If you were interested in proving paternity, the time to do so was many years ago. Still, NRS 126.081 states that "an action brought under this chapter to declare the existence or nonexistence or the father and child relationship is not barred until 3 years after the child reaches the age of majority." See http://www.willicklawgroup.com/paternity.

So while it is way too late to do anything about raising a child who is now an adult, if you want the truth to be known to all, you still have recourse -- for a while.

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Answered on 9/18/10, 11:06 am


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