establishing paternity/civil suit against bio dad

How would I go about establishing patenity with my Dad? I've never lived with and he lives in canada. He is an american citizen though. My Mom never was able to pin him for support because every agency told her it was hopeless since he resided in Canada. (They were never married) He knew about me for sure when I was twelve. I was taken into the state of RI's custody when I was 14 and he never stepped into help or the state never tried to get him for support!!! I now know where he lives and he is very wealthy but wants nothing to do with me. (I am now 21 years old) Can I pursue a civil suit and sue him or the state for never providing support for me or my mom?? Since I was a ward of the state couldn't they have contacted him or something?? Can I get any payback for me fatherless child hood? He neglected me knowing I was his child. PLEASE HELP

[Jenifa]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by zoriel:
[b]How would I go about establishing patenity with my Dad? I've never lived with and he lives in canada. He is an american citizen though. My Mom never was able to pin him for support because every agency told her it was hopeless since he resided in Canada. (They were never married) He knew about me for sure when I was twelve. I was taken into the state of RI's custody when I was 14 and he never stepped into help or the state never tried to get him for support!!! I now know where he lives and he is very wealthy but wants nothing to do with me. (I am now 21 years old) Can I pursue a civil suit and sue him or the state for never providing support for me or my mom?? Since I was a ward of the state couldn't they have contacted him or something?? Can I get any payback for me fatherless child hood? He neglected me knowing I was his child. PLEASE HELP [/b]<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Being you're an adult now, no court will make him take a paternity test. He has rights too, and denying a paternity test requested by an adult is one of his rights (unfortunately). You're still young enough to make your own riches, and have a successful life...go for it.

What is it with the rash of adult children wanting monies from absentee parents?? Anyway, no, your mother would have to have 'gone after' your father for support. There is a 2 year statute of limitations on collecting support when there has been no previous order for support. If the state were to have contacted him, they would have done so. Also, the money would have then been theirs to put back ino their coffers, as they paid your way through to adulthood.
Is there some reason that you want to contact this man? He obviously doesn't seem like the type of person you should surround yourself with.
Jessica/CA

[LegalBeagle]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by zoriel:
[b]How would I go about establishing patenity with my Dad? I've never lived with and he lives in canada. He is an american citizen though. My Mom never was able to pin him for support because every agency told her it was hopeless since he resided in Canada. (They were never married) He knew about me for sure when I was twelve. I was taken into the state of RI's custody when I was 14 and he never stepped into help or the state never tried to get him for support!!! I now know where he lives and he is very wealthy but wants nothing to do with me. (I am now 21 years old) Can I pursue a civil suit and sue him or the state for never providing support for me or my mom?? Since I was a ward of the state couldn't they have contacted him or something?? Can I get any payback for me fatherless child hood? He neglected me knowing I was his child. PLEASE HELP [/b]<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>


The only thing you can do is wait until he dies.. then, with so much money involved you can get a court to order testing and in he is your father, probably get some of his estate. Until that day comes, you have no course of action to do anything against him.

Now, if he ever returns to the US.. that is another matter.. but it would be the state and maybe your mother (if there was a court order in place) who could go after him, but not you.



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Psst... I do not work for Macdonald’s or Burger King, and even if I did, I would not tell you. For sloppy bread, tired tomatoes, frozen onions, watered down mayonnaise and imitation meat, please find a drive through window with a person who openly admits they make that stuff.

My advice above is equal to the advice they would give if you asked that person a legal question.

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by JessicaArlyn:
[b]What is it with the rash of adult children wanting monies from absentee parents?? Anyway, no, your mother would have to have 'gone after' your father for support. There is a 2 year statute of limitations on collecting support when there has been no previous order for support. If the state were to have contacted him, they would have done so. Also, the money would have then been theirs to put back ino their coffers, as they paid your way through to adulthood.
Is there some reason that you want to contact this man? He obviously doesn't seem like the type of person you should surround yourself with.
Jessica/CA[/b]<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Coming from a family of divorced parents that my father basically ignored after my parents divorced (when I was 10), I can understand an Adult child wanting to make a parent pay for treating a child this way, unfortunately the laws are not written with the child's psychological welfare in mind, as long as he pays support and alot of times even if he doesnt we should settle for that.. I think that if the child or eventhe other parent could sue the absent parent for alienation there would be more interaction with the children of divorced parents...