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nlhflorida · Jan 21, 2010, 10:33 AM

Hello, I am currently helping a friend try to find information about establishing paternity in order to establish a relationship with his son (This takes place in Florida). My friend and his child's mother was unmarried at the time of the birth. He was present at the hospital when is son was born and had contact with him soon after. They broke up shortly after the birth, and he and the child's mother had a lawyer and a mediator get involved.

My friend filled out the papers to establish paternity (he thought his name was on the birth certificate, but it wasn't), and gave everything he needed for the test. Unfortunately the mother did not cooperate. He then had a warrant out, but no one would follow through on the order. The child's mother stopped contact with her lawyer and the mediator, and eventually moved out of state.

His son will soon be turning four and I keep coming up at a dead end. Everything seems to be geared to parents seeking to get child support and I'm hoping there's something for the parents who want to give child support and get a relationship with their children. He's trying to do as much independent research before he gets another lawyer (because of what happened in the past). Is there anything that can be done? Thank you for any information you may have.

this8384 · Jan 21, 2010, 01:09 PM

Originally Posted by nlhflorida

Hello, I am currently helping a friend try to find information about establishing paternity in order to establish a relationship with his son (This takes place in Florida). My friend and his child's mother was unmarried at the time of the birth. He was present at the hospital when is son was born and had contact with him soon after. They broke up shortly after the birth, and he and the child's mother had a lawyer and a mediator get involved.

My friend filled out the papers to establish paternity (he thought his name was on the birth certificate, but it wasn't), and gave everything he needed for the test. Unfortunately the mother did not cooperate. He then had a warrant out, but no one would follow through on the order. The child's mother stopped contact with her lawyer and the mediator, and eventually moved out of state.

His son will soon be turning four and I keep coming up at a dead end. Everything seems to be geared to parents seeking to get child support and I'm hoping there's something for the parents who want to give child support and get a relationship with their children. He's trying to do as much independent research before he gets another lawyer (because of what happened in the past). Is there anything that can be done? Thank you for any information you may have.

This is all confusing. I can't figure out how the warrant has not been executed against the mother for not complying with the courts.

Why is the mother so adamant about keeping the child away from your friend? Was the paternity test ever completed or is that what the mother wouldn't comply with?

If she has a warrant out for her arrest, it will only be a matter of time until she is picked up - whether it's in another state or not.

Fr_Chuck · Jan 21, 2010, 07:18 PM

If the order is still active in the local court, you can still file there, file for custody, and a DNA test, Ok you most likely won't get custody, but it is way to get the DNA test and then you deal down to joint custody or visits you want

nlhflorida · Jan 21, 2010, 10:26 PM

Thank you for your responses.

this8384: I was as baffled as you are after hearing about his problem. He told me the lawyer and mediator pretty much washed their hands of it after they couldn't get in contact with the mother. When she lived in Florida he gave them all the information he had concerning the mom. My friend gave his part of the paternity test but his child's mother never took his son in (then she ended up moving), so paternity was never established. Right now he feels like the only way he'd get anywhere is if his child's mother gets pulled over and sent back to Florida because of the warrant. From what I've researched so far the system seems to be really biased, and it's a huge disappointment (as well as a huge eye opener).

Fr_Chuck: I'll have him look into that.