Legal Question in Family Law in Pennsylvania

I recently found out an ex-girlfriend was pregnant, claiming the child was mine. Her doctor recommended having an abortion, as she is in poor health and suffers from endometriosis, and also was on a birth control injection during conception adding to risks of an unhealthy pregnancy for both her and the fetus. She has recently backed out of the abortion procedure and claims that she wants nothing from me at all, due to my support of the abortion and my unwillingness to support a high risk pregnancy. My question is if there is any type of legal document I can get her to sign preventing me from being forced into financial support after the child is born? Also it would help to let you know that she is at week 14 of this pregnancy


Asked on 4/13/12, 9:40 am

1 Answer from Attorneys
Rachel Hunter

No. When the child is born, if she comes after you for child support, demand a paternity test to ensure that the child is yours. In fact, I would not rely on her to bring an action for support or wait for the welfare authorities to do it. You know about when the child will be born so keep monitoring that and bring your own paternity action against her after the child is born. In the paternity action, you can compel her and the child to submit to blood testing.

If the child is not yours, then its not your problem so admit to nothing and do not acknowledge paternity absent a DNA test that definitively says whether you are or are not the child. You really will not know any other way. If the child is yours, then you are going to be stuck supporting it for the next 18 years whether you like it or not.

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Answered on 4/19/12, 8:13 pm


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