Florida residents may remember an old saying that people only know who their fathers are because their mothers told them. These days, what may matter more than the mother’s word is the often irrefutable results of a DNA test. Prior DNA tests in two paternity cases filed against Michael Jordan this year proved that he was not the father of the women’s children.
In one case, the woman has a teenage boy she claimed was fathered by Jordan and that he owed her child support. The woman later withdrew her lawsuit, but not before Jordan counter-sued the woman. The court ended up ordering the woman to pay Jordan $9,704.13 in legal fees.
In the second case, the woman has a three-year-old daughter she claims belongs to Jordan. As part of her lawsuit, she indicated that Jordan used the false name of the man previously determined through DNA testing to be the father of the little girl. The court did not agree with her. Her case was dismissed and the woman was ordered to pay $6,510.61 to Jordan for his legal fees.
When it comes to paternity lawsuits, DNA testing is an invaluable tool for both parties. For those Florida mothers who are not being paid child support by the legitimate fathers of their children, a DNA test can put to rest any accusations by a man that he is not the father of the child. For men, a DNA test can put to rest an accusation that they fathered a woman’s child. However, in the end, there may be no winners or losers since the children are inevitably caught in the middle.