Dwayne Parsons owed $23,000 in back child support for a child that wasn’t biologically his. The Colonial Heights, VA man had been under court order to pay $200 per month because thirteen years ago, he signed the child’s birth certificate. But a family court judge came up with a unique way to stop child support payments and yet still follow the letter of the law.
According to a report on KLTV News, the judge explained that he is required to follow the law, no matter how unfair it may seem. “Unfortunately the law is the law, my message to everybody is if you’re unsure, about you being the father of the child, do not sign that birth certificate – that’s a well lesson learned,” he said.
But instead of paying $200 per month, Parsons has now been ordered to pay $1.00 per month for the next 1000 plus years – all interest free.
According to Parsons, he had doubts that he was the child’s father almost from the beginning, but he says he was raised to take responsibility, so he signed the birth certificate. He also says he has done his best over the years to pay the child support, even going to jail for back support. But all along, he has fought with the child’s mother for a DNA test. Finally, the test was done and it showed a 0.00% chance he was the child’s father.
Even though Parsons had his name removed from the birth certificate, the law said he is still legally responsible for the support. Hence, the judge’s ruling. If you are involved in a paternity suit, consult with an experienced Illinois family law attorney today to make sure your rights are protected.
