paternity suit

paternity suit
n.
A lawsuit brought to identify the father of a child and demand child support payments from him.

The Essential Law Dictionary. — Sphinx Publishing, An imprint of Sourcebooks, Inc. . 2008.


paternity suit
A lawsuit to determine the identity of the father of a child born outside of marriage. A paternity suit may be brought either by the mother or by the father himself if the mother is denying his paternity, and is usually proved by genetic testing. Once paternity is established, the father has all the rights and obligations of parenthood, including the duty to support the child and the right to petition for custody or visitation.
Category: Divorce & Family Law

Nolo’s Plain-English Law Dictionary. . 2009.


paternity suit
n. A proceeding initiated to determine the father of a child born out of wedlock, in order to provide for support for that child.

Webster's New World Law Dictionary. . 2000.


paternity suit
A civil action brought against an unwed father by an unmarried mother to obtain support for an illegitimate child and for payment of bills incident to the pregnancy and the birth.

Dictionary from West's Encyclopedia of American Law. 2005.


paternity suit
A civil action brought against an unwed father by an unmarried mother to obtain support for an illegitimate child and for payment of bills incident to the pregnancy and the birth.

Short Dictionary of (mostly American) Legal Terms and Abbreviations.

paternity suit
n.
   a lawsuit, usually by a mother, to prove that a named person is the father of her child (or the fetus she is carrying). Evidence of paternity may include blood tests (which can eliminate a man as a possible father), testimony about sexual relations between the woman and the alleged father, evidence of relationship of the couple during the time the woman became pregnant, admissions of fatherhood, comparison of child in looks, eye and hair color, race and, increasingly, DNA evidence. In addition to the desire to give the child a known natural father, proof of paternity will lead to the right to child support, birthing expenses and the child's inheritance from his father. The threat of a paternity suit against a man married to another may lead to a prompt and quiet settlement.

Law dictionary. . 2013.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • paternity suit — paternity suits N COUNT If a woman starts or takes out a paternity suit, she asks a court of law to help her to prove that a particular man is the father of her child, often in order to claim financial support from him …   English dictionary

  • paternity suit — or action A court action to determine whether a person is the father of a child born out of wedlock for the purpose, commonly, of enforcing support obligations. See also HLA test multiple access …   Black's law dictionary

  • paternity suit — ► NOUN chiefly N. Amer. ▪ a court case held to establish the identity of a child s father …   English terms dictionary

  • paternity suit — UK / US noun [countable] Word forms paternity suit : singular paternity suit plural paternity suits a legal case brought by a woman against a man in order to establish that he is the father of her child and therefore responsible for providing… …   English dictionary

  • paternity suit — noun a lawsuit filed to determine the father of a child born out of wedlock (and to provide for the support of the child once paternity is determined) • Syn: ↑bastardy proceeding • Topics: ↑law, ↑jurisprudence • Hypernyms: ↑lawsuit, ↑suit, ↑ …   Useful english dictionary

  • paternity suit or action — A court action to determine whether a person is the father of a child born out of wedlock for the purpose, commonly, of enforcing support obligations. See also HLA test multiple access …   Black's law dictionary

  • paternity suit — pa ternity .suit n a legal action in which a mother asks a court of law to find proof that a particular man is the father of her child, usually in order to claim financial support from him …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • paternity suit — pa ternity ,suit noun count a legal case brought by a woman against a man in order to establish that he is the father of her child and therefore responsible for providing financial support …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

  • paternity suit — /pəˈtɜnəti sut/ (say puh ternuhtee sooht) noun a court case to establish that a man is or is not the father of a child, as claimed by the person bringing the suit …  

  • paternity suit — noun A lawsuit to identify a childs father and establish child support …   Wiktionary

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