As an unmarried couple, it’s easy for you and your partner to separate. You don’t have to go through all the legal challenges you would if you were married, making it easy to walk away if things aren’t working out.
That’s what you did when you and your girlfriend were no longer getting along. You left, and you thought that would be the end of your relationship. That was that until you received a phone call that changed your life.
After almost a year apart, your girlfriend has given birth. Your friends told you that she claims that you’re the father, and you need to know for sure. What should you do? A paternity test would be an excellent choice.
Paternity tests can give you a 99.9% accurate answer to the question of if you’ve become a father. It’s an easy test to take, but if your ex-girlfriend won’t allow one easily, you may need to go to court to request it. If you want to do that, then you’ll need to think about how the dates line up and if you could be the father of the child in question.
Some things to think about include:
- The date of your breakup versus the date of the child’s birth. If it’s longer than 10 months, then the likelihood is that you’re not the father, but there are exceptions (like carrying longer than term).
- The last time you had a sexual relationship with your ex compared to the birth of your potential child.
- What the child looks like and if they are the same race as you or your ex (though this doesn’t guarantee a biological relationship).
If you’re concerned that the child could be yours, then your attorney will help you seek a DNA test to find out for sure.
