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'Who's the Daddy?' Comment by Tracey O'Dwyer.
9 June 2009

1 in 25 fathers may be unknowingly raising another man’s child. So says a new study by the University of Leicester.

Family law solicitor, Tracey O’Dwyer, of Tony Roe Solicitors, based in Theale, is not surprised. Tracey, who worked for the Child Support Agency prior to becoming a solicitor, says, “At the CSA I saw at first hand the devastation caused when a man discovers that the child that he has always thought was his, isn’t his after all.  Paternity testing was requested for a variety of reasons, for example, because the man had reason to be suspicious all along, or has subsequently discovered his partner’s historic infidelity that then sows doubt in his mind”.

In 2007/8 of the 3,474 tests ordered by the CSA 19% showed that the child’s mother had named the wrong father, double the figure of 10.6% in 2004/5.  Tracey says, “There will undoubtedly be more fathers who are paying for children who are not theirs simply because they have no suspicions”.

Paternity testing isn’t just confined to the CSA. The family courts can order paternity testing, often when there is a dispute about contact with a child, or on the breakdown of the relationship when there are financial claims.

So why are so many mothers naming the wrong father, sometimes deliberately?  Tracey O’Dwyer says: “In my experience the most common reason was because there had been an infidelity that the mother felt she had got away with. The mother then did not want to jeopardise her other or subsequent relationship by owning up. Instead she just hoped that the child was her partner’s, perhaps due to the bonds formed between father and child.  However, in every case where a paternity result is negative, one must remember that there will be a father out there who probably has no idea that he has a child.”

The research at Leicester University examined the Y chromosomes of 1600 men and looked for common genetic markers associated with certain surnames, to reach their conclusion that between one and four per cent men may not be the father of a child they are raising or supporting.

Tracey O’Dwyer says: “Worrying though these figures are, it is very important to keep them in perspective.  Quite understandably there will be fathers with reason for doubt, who simply cannot move on with their lives unless they find out for sure the paternity of their child.  The crucial thing is to carefully consider the consequences of a paternity test on all concerned, but most importantly on the child and any siblings, and to seek proper advice before taking any steps”. 

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