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Simple English definitions for legal terms
paternity action
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A quick definition of paternity action:
A paternity action is when a court decides if a person is the father of a child who was born when the parents were not married. Usually, the mother starts this process to get child support. It is also called a paternity suit, parentage action, bastardy proceeding, or bastardy process.
A more thorough explanation:
A paternity action, also known as a paternity suit or parentage action, is a legal process to determine whether a person is the biological father of a child, especially if the child was born out of wedlock. This process is usually initiated by the mother to obtain child support from the father.
- Sarah filed a paternity action against John to establish that he was the father of her child and to obtain child support.
- The court ordered a DNA test as part of the paternity suit to determine whether the man was the biological father of the child.
These examples illustrate how a paternity action is a legal process initiated by the mother to establish the biological father of a child and obtain child support.