Editor’s note: With half of today’s couples choosing not to formalize the relationship through marriage, how to provide the best possible parenting for their children becomes an important issue…whether we like the changing times or not.
I wanted to respond to the comment left about my situation. Please know that my case was not a normal situation and it really did matter that I was the Plantiff.
The mother of my daughter hid the fact that I was going to become a father due to her mental illness. I found out I had a daughter when she was 3 weeks old. I never questioned Paternity and took FULL responsibility.
Life was perfect until about 8 weeks later when the mother’s illness got the best of her and she denied me access to her. I could not afford a lawyer and I asked Domestic Relations for a Paternity test and was denied. I was told that they only offer that service to a man if a mom takes him for support. So I started begging her to take me for support and she refused. It took me 10 months to find out that I had been misinformed by DR and I could get Paternity testing.
I filed for to have the test done and a month later the mom filed for support. A conference was scheduled to establish a support amount before Paternity was established, and that is NOT legal. The only reason they did this was to get me off my complaint. If you think about it, if I would have remained the Plaintiff the mom would have had to pay for the test.
I fought very hard and long to get my rights as a father and what I have learned is, if you stand up and try to do the right thing in Lancaster, you will get punished. I have been through hell and the only thing I have done was try to make sure my daughter had a father. I have looked up other cases that were like mine and a few have made it as high as a state supreme court. I am right and what was done to me was in violation of our Constitution.
-Also I do understand how reading that small clip about my story would make it hard to understand the message I tried to send about why it was wrong to remove me as the Plaintiff.
