Many men rejoice upon learning that they have become fathers for the first time. Unfortunately, some of these men may be misled into thinking that this is the case when, in fact, it is not. Paternity fraud occurs when a woman leads a man to believe he is the father of a child when, in fact, he is not.

Women may have a number of motivations behind committing paternity fraud, but the primary motive is usually finances. By telling a man he fathered a child, the woman makes the man accountable for helping support the child through primary care or child support.

Men who are unsure of whether they are the fathers of their alleged children have options to test paternity before committing to help raise a child. These include blood tests, DNA tests, and other forms of genetic testing. These tests have up to a 99% success rate.

Fraud usually occurs when a man does not doubt the paternity of his child. This usually occurs when the man believes that he was the woman's only sexual partner around the time of conception. The woman may withhold information about other sexual partners so as to coerce the man into helping support the child.

Paternity fraud may be considered a crime in some cases. More importantly, though, men who have been deceived by women may be able to file a civil suit to regain their monetary contributions to raising the child. This may be a significant sum for some individuals.

Before pursuing legal action to reclaim finances, men who have been the victims of paternity fraud should consult with lawyers who are experienced with paternity issues.

If you were deceived into believing that a child was yours but later found out that it was not, discuss your legal options with the San Diego paternity attorneys of Fischer & Van Thiel, LLP.

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