Should a man have to pay child support for a child who is not his biological child?

I was wondering when this was going to be taken up by the Legislature again. Over the years I have dealt with a few cases where the "father" raised the child or children and then, upon divorce or dissolution of the relationship, found out that his sweet heart may have also been sweet on someone else as well. Because of North Carolina law, none of them ended well due to strict time-lines to challenge paternity.

It would be one thing if the system seemed to treat everyone equally. However, some of these guys have been imprisoned because they felt so overwhelmed at all the prospects that they either stopped paying support, did not know a support action could be taken against them or did the smart thing and tried to represent themselves in court.


Until something comes out of the Legislature, remember that you only have two months to challenge paternity after you have signed the paperwork and one year if there is fraud involved.

Same Sex Adoption Decision from the Court of Appeals to Be Reviewed by NC Supreme Court

Despite the fact that she lost an anonymous decision of the NC Court of Appeals, Melissa Jarrell has asked for the NC Supreme Court to weigh in on whether an adoption she consented to should be upheld.

Three years ago, when times were good, Melissa wanted the adoption to occur. Now, when times are not so good, it is a sham.

In my opinion, what is a sham is that Melissa is doing what some parents do when they go to Court. Use the children as weapons, pawns, or as sources of power in the disintegration of their relationships. Regardless of gender, orientation, religion, race, etc., children need parent(s) and family(ies) who look out after the children's interests and not after their own.

how tolerant are you...

...in your relationship? Does the good outweigh the bad, barely equalize or overwhelm the good in every way imaginable?

Facebook's influence on relationships...

Interesting article on how Facebook has impacted relationships and how those in a relationship tend to obsess about use and/or friends on their partner's site.

are you an I/you or a we couple?

The difference of whether a couple describes themselves as a "we" or as individuals could be an indication of the quality of your relationship according to researchers at UC-Berkeley.

http://psychcentral.com/news/2010/01/29/couples-with-shared-identity-better-at-conflict-resolution/11056.html

Communication is the key to relationships...bad ones and good ones

So many times the folks I talk to have a terrible time communicating with their ex-spouse, partner or co-parent. It is no surprise that those problems probably existed long before the break-up of the relationship. But those "signs" were ignored during those "great times" and most likely were part of the fun or were "inside jokes" between the couple. Now, however, when times are lean [lean on love, that is], those very issues are or seem insurmountable.

This article is not divorce or marriage specific, but relationships are not born on the date of marriage, they begin long before then and, as the article suggests, they take work and active participation to make them successful.

http://www.oprah.com/relationships/Communication-Skills-How-to-Make-Yourself-Heard?cnn=yes