If abortion is going to be illegal, then dads need to pay

[Algernon Moncrieff]

- If women are forced to carry unintended pregnancies to term, then we need laws putting dad (or dad's parents, if dad is a minor) on the hook for at least half of all expenses. Including, but not limited to: Prenatal. Delivery Expenses (including but not limited to: doctor, anesthesia, hospitalization, NICU, ambulance - you get the idea). Child Support. Secondary education funding. Medical and dental insurance.

- Neither Dad nor Dad Family get any say in Mom's choice of doctor or hospital.

- Financial responsibility does not entitle dad to visitation rights. That's a separate issue.

[kelly1mm]

1. "Financial responsibility does not entitle dad to visitation rights. That's a separate issue." In

Maryland at least and in many other states I presume the fact that the father does (or does not) pay child support is immaterial to custody/visitation rights. In fact the father of a child has just as much rights to the child as the mother once the child is born.

[Algernon Moncrieff]

2. To be clear, this is just how I think such a law should be framed

..and I think if we are revisiting a woman's right to control her body, we should also revisit who gets final say in raising the child. But the main takeaway is this - DNA testing can now prove paternity beyond a doubt (exception: dad is an identical twin). If you are Dad then you just bought yourself 18-21 years of child support.

[kelly1mm]

15. Or the Mom can pay the Dad 18-21 years of child support if Dad has custody. In MD at least both

biological parents have equal rights to the child once the child is born, and in theory are on equal legal footing in initial custody proceedings. In the county where I am Moms win custody about 80% of the time. This is mainly because the in the vast majority of cases fathers do not contest custody. However in contested custody cases Dads win just under 60% of the time.

[roamer65]

3. The biological father should be on the hook for 3/4 of the expenses.

At a minimum.

Including college or university if the child desires to attend one.

[kelly1mm]

16. why? nt

[roamer65]

20. Why not?

He created the problem.

[kelly1mm]

22. So did she. Support for a child should be equal, or even better yet proport to income. nt

[Igel]

4. It's called a paternity suit.

You prove that the guy's the baby daddy and he's on the hook for child support. I've seen that referenced in stuff from the 1950s; laws are still on the books.

At some point that went from simple court order to IRS facilitated. My mother was awarded child support (for my older brother) but judges work within state and they were in different states. He didn't pay. These days, she's at least get any tax return; a pittance, but something.

[Algernon Moncrieff]

5. So the emergence of the DNA test should greatly streamline that process

And I believe the Clinton-era deadbeat dad laws are still on the books.

Frankly, if abortion is to be restricted, then paternity liability should be draconian. We are way beyond "They have to get married" as a society.

[TheBlackAdder]

9. In NJ, often once you accept the role of the father you are on the hook even if DNA later proves not

[no_hypocrisy]

6. An unfortunate byproduct of overturning Roe:

There are men who will murder women who bear their children in order NOT to pay child support.

[okaawhatever]

7. Not to mention that a baby is lifetime proof of incest, rape, affairs, etc. DNA is forever. nt

[phylny]

8. Yes. Let's call it

the “Conception Healthcare and Well-being Protection” bill.

[Algernon Moncrieff]

24. Perhaps hitting men in the wallets will make them consider condoms

[raccoon]

10. I couldn't agree more. So many times in real life I have seen fathers

I couldn’t agree more. So many times in real life I have seen fathers Ordered to pay child support and somehow I know they just don’t pay. You probably know of at least one case everybody out there probably does probably more than one.

And I for one am sick and tired of it.

[JanMichael]

11. Add rent and utilities until child is out of the home.

That could be 40 years nowadays.

[kelly1mm]

17. almost no states have laws mandating child support past 18 (or 19 sometimes if still in High School)

Some states extend some type of support obligation through college but usually only in a divorce action. One exception to this is for special needs adult children.

[JanMichael]

18. I was being sarcastic. But life has become so expensive that older kids in the house must be...

...increasing. Actually is has over the last 40 years.

And with huge numbers of forced births that will hit over the next few years even less opportunity to flee the nest in another 40 years.

[Vinca]

12. All women forced to bear a child must enter their DNA into a database and if the father is known

he should be forced to submit a DNA sample. If the father is unknown. The database needs to routinely be checked against criminal records, military DNA records, etc. In addition, the government should subsidize the mother and child until the child is 18 since the government is the entity causing it to exist. Maybe there needs to be a "3 strike" law for men who freely impregnate women and then go off on their merry way. Three times and you get a mandatory vasectomy.

[Algernon Moncrieff]

23. You can even shortcut that process

If the baby is DNA tested, the likely father can probably be ruled in through genetic genealogy. In this process, a family tree is constructed by matching the baby's DNA to relatives who've done a DNA test on a service like Ancestry. So many Americans have tested that the odds of not finding cousins, aunts, or uncles (or closer) of the dad are slim. That should give a court sufficient evidence for the likely father to be compelled to provide DNA.

[Irish_Dem]

13. The SC will probably rule that DNA paternity tests are an invasion of privacy.

I don't see the SC ever regulating male reproductive issues.

[tavernier]

14. There ya go

[BlueCheeseAgain]

19. Sorry for my naivete, but what obligations do the fathers have right now?

I thought child support was already required, though I understand a lot of people are deadbeat dads and the legal system often does a bad job of forcing them to pay.

[H2O Man]

21. In most states,

mothers and fathers share the same rights and responsibilities.