questions & answers

Question: I am paying back child support for a adult child who is not mine. However paternity was never established. The mother has admitted i am not the child's father, and its clear i am not. However the adult child refuses to take a dna test so i can stop paying child support, Do i have any rights in this case? Every year they take my entire tax refund, i make weekly payments. I have a family and two children who are mine that i am supporting. i need help.

Answer: You do not say how old the adult child is.  I am assuming you are the legally presumed father because you were married to the mother at the time of birth.  A.R.S. Section 25-804 requires that any action to establish the paternity of the child must be filed before the child's 18th birthday.  You may want to speak to a lawyer and explore your options.  There are three programs in Arizona that you can use to get inexpensive legal advice and guidance.  One is the modest means program.  You will need to apply for the program and meet the financial qualifications.  Once you are qualified, Modest Means will send you a list of attorneys whose practice covers your area of concern.  You select a lawyer from the list and will be entitled to a one hour consultation for $75.  If you need additional help and if the lawyer agrees to take your case, the most you will be charged is $75 per hours.  the telephone number is (866) 637-5341.  Both Maricopa County and Pima County have lawyer referral programs that offer a 30 minute consult with an attorney.  Maricopa County's Lawyer Referral Service offers a 30 minute consult with an experienced attorney for $40.  The telephone number is  (602) 257-4434.  Pima County's Lawyer Referral Service offers a 30 minute attorney consult for $35.  The telephone number is (520) 623-4625.