questions & answers

Question: I am unmarried and 15 weeks pregnant. My ex fiancé is denying paternity most because he does not want the military to know he is having a child because it will cancel his assignment he signed up for that requires no dependents. I would like to legally establish paternity so that when the baby comes I will be able to apply for child support since he will most likely be deployed. I have heard mixed answers on whether or not prenatal paternity tests are legally admissible to establish paternity in Arizona. The tests are very expensive, and before I pay I would like to know if I can use it

Answer: You can file a paternity action at any time during your pregnancy or after the child's birth.  Arizona Revised Statutes, Section 25-804.  If you file the paternity action while you are pregnant, the court can at your request order a delay in doing the paternity test until after the baby is born.  Arizona Revised Statutes, Section 25-807.  Whether you have the test during pregnancy or after, the statutes give the court the power to allocate the testing costs between you and the father as the judge deems fit.