The long arm of the law - wow - it really does apply in Child Support Cases these days. As of yesterday, NJ passed a reciprocal agreement with representatives from Santo Domingo to have child support collected on behalf of children either living in the USA and whose parent is living in the Dominican Republic or vice versa, where children living in Dominican Republic and a parent has moved to the United States.
The DHS - Division of Child Support will enforce these laws by following up with Paternity claims made on fathers in either country. Fathers, need to understand their rights and should first know if they are or are not the biological fathers of the children indicated on the child support order. In the United States, you are automatically considered the biological father of the child, if you were married to the mother at the time of birth. An affidavit signed by both you, the mother and the real biological father would be needed to have your name removed from a birth certificate, under those conditions. However, if you were not married to the mother, and if you do not sign an Acknowledgement of Paternity, usually in the hospital at time of birth, then legally the child does not have a father unless and until you sign paperwork. As with anything, if you have a doubt about the Paternity of the child, even though this is one of the most joyous times in your life, it is not wise to sign any paperwork until you have a DNA test performed. Results are available in as little as 3 business days - and then the family can begin to bond with the baby - if results return with greater than 99% Probability of Paternity.
A simple non-invasive DNA Test can be ordered either through the courts or done privately, using an accredited facility and a Chain of Custody DNA collection process. Chain of Custody processing insures that there are no questions regarding accuracy, reliability and participants in the DNA test. Proper government issued identification is required, the legal guardian of the child (usually the mother) is required to sign on behalf of the child and all three participants are photographed. The test is complete and results can confirm or deny whether you are the biological father of a child.
Some families may not want to go through the "assembly line" process associated with Court Ordered DNA Tests - where everyone sits in a room and is called by a docket number to have their DNA collected. Imagine being a new mom, sitting in a room full of other "new" moms and "alleged fathers" waiting for your number to be called and your DNA to be collected. Very little privacy is offered - more like cattle waiting to be slaughtered.
Private DNA Collections can be done by families both here in the USA and in Santo Domingo. Either a local trusted family doctor in Santo Domingo can perform the collection, or if all 3 are on a visit to the USA - all 3 can be tested in a private DNA collector's office. Offices are available in Perth Amboy and Passaic where there is a concentration of Dominican families. Spanish translation is available in Perth Amboy offices.
