What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Arizona
I was a father to my son for 2 1/2 years, i did everything a loving father would do for there son. I was there for every moment of his life, birth, cut the umbilical cord, First steps, words, all those awesome moments. When he was 2 1/2 i started to think if i was really the bio-father. I mean its every fathers worst nightmare to think it, but as he just started to grow he started to not look like me and a lot like his mom, so i had a few doubts about it. So i did a DNA test though a private company and found out i was NOT the Biological father. It hurt alot, and did alot of thinking, but it was not his fault, and of course my love had not change for him and i decided i still wanted to be his father cause i was the only one he knew, i still loved him as a father would love their son. Me and my x were already broken up at that time, and she said she was happy to still let me be his father and glad i did not walk away from him even though it was her fault and she lied. so i moved out on my own and still watched him until he was 3. had him few times a week during the 6 months from 2 1/2 till 3. My x then deiced to go down hill, make bad choices, etc etc of course not wanting to her all the bad things she was now doing being confronted to her, She then stopped letting me see my son and stopped talking to me all together. now been 3 months since i have had any contact with her or my son, which great i could care less about her. So my question is, can i get visitation rights to see him? I don't pay her anything anymore since she stopped letting me see him, of course the courts cant make me since i am not the bio-dad. I am still on the birth certificate. Can i get rights to visitation with him at all? do i have to adopt him and start paying child support to see him? or can i get visitation rights for the best interests of the child and for me since i have been dad to him since the beginning?
I was a father to my son for 2 1/2 years, i did everything a loving father would do for there son. I was there for every moment of his life, birth, cut the umbilical cord, First steps, words, all those awesome moments. When he was 2 1/2 i started to think if i was really the bio-father. I mean its every fathers worst nightmare to think it, but as he just started to grow he started to not look like me and a lot like his mom, so i had a few doubts about it. So i did a DNA test though a private company and found out i was NOT the Biological father. It hurt alot, and did alot of thinking, but it was not his fault, and of course my love had not change for him and i decided i still wanted to be his father cause i was the only one he knew, i still loved him as a father would love their son. Me and my x were already broken up at that time, and she said she was happy to still let me be his father and glad i did not walk away from him even though it was her fault and she lied. so i moved out on my own and still watched him until he was 3. had him few times a week during the 6 months from 2 1/2 till 3. My x then deiced to go down hill, make bad choices, etc etc of course not wanting to her all the bad things she was now doing being confronted to her, She then stopped letting me see my son and stopped talking to me all together. now been 3 months since i have had any contact with her or my son, which great i could care less about her. So my question is, can i get visitation rights to see him? I don't pay her anything anymore since she stopped letting me see him, of course the courts cant make me since i am not the bio-dad. I am still on the birth certificate. Can i get rights to visitation with him at all? do i have to adopt him and start paying child support to see him? or can i get visitation rights for the best interests of the child and for me since i have been dad to him since the beginning?