If the man has to pay child support and later finds out that the child is not his, should the woman have to pay it back?

[Greek_goddess_Iris]

I saw this question today and thought it's a good ask. I say yes.

[Purpleronnie]

I think if a man doubts he is the father then he should immediately set out to seek that paternity be proven but pay maintenance / child support at least until that’s happened it’s not the child’s fault



It may have a very detrimental effect on the child / children by ordering the mother to pay back the Monies paid over theoretically a standard amount of time a maximum penalty or limitation would have to be set legally and it’s not right to expect this should happen after the suspected father going along with it for so long unchallenged , that’s generally on him.


Furthermore , if the paternity is upheld the father should have to pay ALL costs incurred by all parties in proving paternity and should his suspicions have been correct then the mother should incur ALL costs.


Finally , as a ‘man’ if you’re going to proceed to prove paternity with all that this implies , you need to be reading from more than just ‘a feeling’ …. There is likely going to be considerable consequences whatever the outcome.

[XXTruthfulOgrexx]

No why? Because the men in question may have endured hardship financially paying that child support.

There are records of men not only paying child support but going to jail for not paying child support and never being allowed a paternity test because the mother refused.

Men have refused and asked for such rulings but the laws still lean heavily on men to just pay up and shut up.

Easy fix, MANDATORY paternity tests at birth.

[Purpleronnie]

Your more than a little naive if you think that is an easy fix to implement and pay for

[XXTruthfulOgrexx]

Paternity tests depending on area just to establish Paternity is between 100 to 200. Considering the sheer amount of money being spent in courts dealing and establishing paternity, It would be a fraction of the cost to mandate the test at birth and before the certificate is signed.

[RavVid]

This question went to the second highest court in Australia and the wife was found guilty of fraud and the wife was ordered to repay the money. During a divorce it was discovered none of her children were his.

It was appealed to the highest court and the appeal won. The female justice (who had cheated on her husband) made a political decision or as she put it it a policy decision that child support repayment would be bad for the children.

It has since been subject of legislation and the husband would get some money back but not the child support.

[CupcakeTheDestroyer]

This has happened irl, like multiple times. Often it depends on the judge’s ruling, but I believe in cases where it can be proven without a doubt that the mother purposely falsified the paperwork, knowing the child didn’t belong to the alleged father, that’s been when she’s required to pay it back. In a majority of cases, the mothers genuinely and sincerely believe the child belongs to their spouse rather than their lover, so they put their name on the paperwork when they’re born. In which case the judge often calls for the cessation of child support, but doesn’t require the mother to pay it back, and pursuing it is kind of seen as a dick move at that point. Obviously this kind of information is only relevant in divorce proceedings, so that’s really the only time it’s happened.

[YesIWouldLikeFries]

Its a dick move? What about her using a child as extortion?

[CupcakeTheDestroyer]

They’d have to prove it in a legal setting, which is again up to the judge depending on the evidence, but the argument can be made

[YesIWouldLikeFries]

The evidence would be a DNA test. No worming her way out of that.

[CupcakeTheDestroyer]

No, extortion requires evidence beyond the test. Ie she would have to make threats if he didn’t pay

[Zionne]

That’s a tough one, emotionally and legally. In many places, the woman isn’t required to pay it back, especially if the man was listed as the legal father. But morally, a lot of people feel she should, since he supported a child under false beliefs. It really depends on the laws and the specific situation.

[HawkPerception]

It should be mandatory for all couples to do a DNA test when the the woman is having a kid to begin with. That prevents the man from getting into that nightmare scenario in the place and gives them complete peace of mind.

Any woman who denies getting a DNA test is not trustworthy. It's the same as women who refuse to get prenups.

[AviatorTom]

It would be unreasonable to require the woman pay it back, that would harm the child... unless she knowingly committed fraud in naming him as the child's father, in which case she should be punished, and that might require reimbursing him.

[msc545]

It harms the man to take his money for a child that is not his and then refuse to pay it back. Why is it better to do this?

[AviatorTom]

@msc545 The man has already survived without the money. If the woman needs to pay it back, she's taking future money away from the child. And that's not good.

[msc545]

So if I understand you correctly, as long as it's a woman committing fraud against a man nobody should punish her?

[AviatorTom]

@msc545 That's not my point at all. The child is the one who is important. Try not to do anything that harms the child. If a warm commits fraud against a man that doesn't involve a child, she should be punished, which may involve a fine, repayment and/or jail time.

[msc545]

I believe that numerous studies indicate that child support is surplus income for women if they spend it on themselves and not on their children. There have been innumerable movements to get women to account for the spending of child support dollars so that it can be determined whether or not they actually spend that money on their children. However, it has been opposed vigorously by feminist organizations who, of course, don't want women to be accountable. Guess who has won so far...

All that being said, I think women should still be compelled to repay men they have defrauded, whether it's from child support or from some other source. Maybe the woman will have to work harder or go without makeup or something, but whatever it takes. Criminals and people who commit fraud actually are criminals and should not be simply pardoned and let off because it may hurt someone else in some way, including a child.

[Chazmatazz269]

Absolutely, and go to jail if she refuses or fails to pay.

[FirePhoenixZ]

Absolutely.

Responsibility must align with truth.

If a man is compelled to support a child under false pretenses, the deception cannot be ignored.

The woman should be held accountable for restitution not as punishment, but as the only fair resolution to honor justice and integrity.

[msc545]

I had a friend who was in the exact same position. A woman had gotten pregnant and claimed that he was the father of her child, even though she knew very well that he was not. He was forced to pay child support for about 3 or 4 years. Perhaps as long as 5. And took the woman to court and sued. The court finally after much hassle ordered her to have the child tested. And that was done and it turned out he wasn't the father. So my friend then sued her to try to get his money back that he had paid in child support for a child that was in another man's. The court refused to force the woman to do this, and she got to keep all the money that he had paid her for a child that wasn't his, that she knew about. So much for justice.

[msc545]

Here is the case:

www.metnews.com/articles/2007/jame062007.htm

[DJB72]

Yes. If he was under the impression he was the only person she was sleeping with then she obtained money by false pretences.

Given the number of guys who get caught by this kind of thing now it's a sad thing but maybe paternity test at birth should be a thing. Cord blood kept being mandatory for 21 years and zero support owed until paternity is proven.

[bunnyboo24]

Yes! 100%. infact I think testing should be recommended. I always thought it was a huge red flag when women see being asked to be tested as a red flag. If you have nothing to hide it shouldn't be a prroblem.

[exitseven]

in a just world she should. In the state where I live if a guy has paid child support and finds out the kid is not his not only does he not get his money back but he has to continue paying child support.

[SeriouslyNotSerious]

Yes, absolutely. 💯

No bias here. And DNA tests should be required and easily accessible, if one have doubts. If people don't agree with this, then do not betray your partner.

[Paige90]

Yes she should and if she lied about having sex with other guys she should have criminal charges too.

[Kelly6]

@paige90
Now thank you,
I don't how this is hard for everyone.

[PeachyPie93]

Yes she should.. or do time in jail the same as if fathers don't pay for their kids.. whores deserve the worst treatment in life.

[foxsquirrell]

If she knew that he was not the father, and made him pay child support absolutely. Its pretty obvious. If she erroneously thought that he is the father I still think that she has to pay him back when they discover that the child is not his, because it means that she was careless and she has to pay for being careless in that case not someone else.

[katiesmuff]

I would agree that the woman should be responsible for repayment to the man, big issue however I doubt many women in that boat would have the capital or assets to make the repayment.

[jmr2191]

Absolutely. This is called paternity fraud and why it is not legally treated as fraud still escapes me. That being said, I would make room for one exception

[NoDecision]

I've seen that happen and he didn't get anything back. I would bet suing would do no good either as you can't get blood out of a turnip.

[boundless]

Not only should she have to pay it back, she should have to pay it back with interest and she should be charged with fraud.

[boundless]

Fraud is conscious deceit to obtain an unlawful or unethical gain at the expense of another and that is exactly what she is doing.

[Nikki1989]

The woman is usually not forced to pay back all child support, but the man is almost always relieved of future obligations.

[Nikki1989]

And no, the woman shouldn't have to pay it back.

[Billlewis]

I agree.

[Pohjolan]

How come?

[YesIWouldLikeFries]

Yes she should. In fact if she won't or can't lifetime jail. No hearing or court case. She wasted his life so she should have hers wasted. That's equality.

[Kelly6]

@Nikki1989 she committed fraud. It doesn't matter if she spent on child.

It's like saying a parent can rob a bank and spend on kid.

[YesIWouldLikeFries]

@Kelly6 exactly you get it.

[Kelley1]

Of course, she should be required to pay it back and face jail time.

[robocop666]

Man forced to go to jail for not being able to pay child support to a child that is not his

https://www.youtube.com/embed/BJJ5Z_5lllw

[OneViewpoint]

Yes! She defrauded the guy out of that money.

[Drumlin2001]

Depending on circumstances she ought to be charged with fraud. Wether funds can be recovered would also depend on circumstances.

[Anonymous]

probably no cause the guy most likely won't see it. the best solution is to stop paying once it's been proven the kid isn't his. unfortunately women like this make all mom's with more then one baby's daddy look bad.

[Anonymous]

Yes or the state that forced the man by law to pay child support should, if that happened there'd be dna tests before a single child support payment is made.

[genericname85]

obviously yes. cause obviously she scammed him out of his money so she should have to give that money back.

[genericname85]

actually i think a man shouldn't even be forced to pay untill it is proven that he actually is the father. i think dna tests should be compulsory unless he wants to pay either way.

[YesIWouldLikeFries]

Absolutely. That's like paying for a car that's not in your name or a house that's not in your name. Imagine paying for something that you have no say over 🙄

[Anonymous]

You should take a DNA test before you pay one penny of child support.

[douride2]

in my opinion I would say she should have to pay it back.

[Jennz6]

No, she spent it on the child, and he should have gotten a blood test to determine whether or not he was the father

[Kelly6]

She did the fraud not the kid

[Anonymous]

She 'should' have to pay it back, but the female-biased legal system would never allow that to happen.

[Shiprex]

Not the woman, the state AND a fine or %lost interest that the man lost out on

[Anonymous]

if he got thrown in prison for being unable to keep up with the payments, she should be thrown in prison too

[Kelly6]

@Greek_goddess_Iris yes she should pay back or charge with fraud

[Jackblue]

I am pretty certain already that a man can demand a DNA test if a woman claims a child is his and is expecting child support.

[Chazmatazz269]

Not in the majority of US states.

[Rosemaiden]

If the child does not belong to the man, then his wife has to pay him remedies and take its offspring and live somewhere else. The man can sue his partner.

[Anonymous]

give him his money back, there are single mother out there that are evil and trick guys in to marrying them

[MasterKS]

single mothers are for easy sex, lol

[DavyJ]

Absolutely-and with interest added to the date the first payment was made.

[RedInnocent69]

Yeah, if paternity is in question, that should be the first determination

[Anonymous]

She should, she essentially committed paternity fraud.

[Cormac995]

yep with interest in fact.

[Static_In_The_Attic]

Absofuckinglutely!

[XXTruthfulOgrexx]

Yes, with mandatory interest rates.

[aceleon]

of course she is.

[MikeTheBartender]

Abso-fucking-lutely

[Bklynbadboy12]

Yep she sould thats exactly how it should go

[Getback]

Yes, that's fraud.

[beefcakebradybatson]

D**N SKIPPY!!! SHE'S A THIEF !!!

[blackeagle007]

Yes! For lying to him? She’s owes big

[Pohjolan]

Not at once but gradually yes.

[On_cloud_wine]

Yea m’am

[Anonymous]

No, she probably didn't know.

[Anonymous]

I should think so, with interest

[Jmmmfi4]

Fuck yes

I hate child support

[eagle1951]

yes she should

[Phoenix98]

Yes.

[tzdc21]

ABSOLUTELY.

[FunkyMonkee]

She should!!!

[Anonymous]

Yeah.

[AgentG111]

Hell Yes!

[Staximus]

For sure

[MasterKS]

poor balls! LOL