NSW DNA Testing Confirmed Paternity - Can I Spend Time with Child?

[Junit]

Hi,

I have just found out I have a 10-year-old child to a woman I had a one-night stand with in South Australia where I was training for Air Force back in 2005. The mother contacted me via social media a few weeks ago and has claimed to be looking for me since she found out she was pregnant, which I highly doubt considering she knew my full name, and knew I was training for the Airforce (she wrote that in the original message).

Paternity DNA testing has confirmed I am the father of the child. I want to be involved in the child's life as much as possible so I would like to know what my rights are? What do I need to do?

I have a wife and three other children here in NSW. Can I somehow get access to the child during school holidays if the woman says no?

Thank you

 

[sammy01]

Ok so don't fret with what if's... Ask her to give you access to the kid. Seems reasonable that he shouldn't be forced right away to spend some time with you. That is something you should work up to in time.

You have no rights (kind of). The child has a right to have a meaningful relationship with both parents. So a court would make a decision based on best interest of the child. Let's hope it doesn't go that far.

So offer to go meet the kid and let's go from there.

If she wanted to, she can contact the child support agency and have money garnished from your wage to pay child support. But let's not worry about that just yet either.

 

[AllForHer]

I agree with the above - who has what rights isn't important at the moment. You're not even close to a Court hearing, yet, so right now, your best course of action is the amicable one - talk to the mother about this situation and about her views moving forward. You will likely find the child is at an age where she/he is asking about his/her father, and I can't imagine why she would have contacted you about the child if she didn't want the child to meet you. This child also has siblings, and I imagine the mother sees merit in the child meeting them, too.

If that fails, and the mother refuses to facilitate the child spending any time with you, then I encourage you to return here for some more guidance in the legal sense, but hopefully, it won't come to that.