Growth of paternity tests sires tricky societal issues

Growth of paternity tests sires tricky societal issues | Chicago Tribune

Growth of paternity tests sires tricky societal issues

By Kathryn Masterson
Special to the Tribune
Published March 18, 2007

Paul Simpson had reason to suspect that he wasn’t going to like the results even before he took a paternity test. Another man, whom Simpson had become friendly with, had confessed to him that he, not Simpson, was the father of the two children born during Simpson’s marriage.

Still, Simpson said he hoped that at least one of the children, who were both under the age of 2, would turn out to be his biological child. The professionally administered DNA test showed neither was.
“It’s hard to describe how bad I felt,” said Simpson, 25, who is now divorced from the children’s mother. He was angry, then severely depressed. But he did not regret taking the test. “I had to know if they were mine–I had to.”

DNA tests to prove parentage are becoming more common and easily accessible. You can order a do-it-yourself kit online for about $200, though those tests aren’t admissible in court, or pay $500 for one involving professional sample collections.

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Interesting article on the Chicago Tribune, about paternity fraud and another duped dad!

Lawyers urge ‘no fault’ divorces

Lawyers urge ‘no fault’ divorces
A couple getting married
The present divorce system breeds acrimony, some lawyers say
The family law system needs a radical overhaul to include “no fault” divorces, a lawyers’ group has said.

Resolution, which represents about 5,000 family lawyers, says the present system creates a “blame culture”.

Group chairman Jane McCulloch said it was wrong that “unreasonable behaviour” or adultery had to be proved to obtain an immediate divorce.

There were 141,750 divorces in England and Wales in 2005, 10,940 in Scotland and 2,362 in Northern Ireland.

Ms McCulloch was speaking at the national conference of Resolution, formerly known as the Solicitors Family Law Association, in Manchester.

Divorce graph

She said: “Under current law, anyone wanting an immediate divorce has to prove ‘unreasonable behaviour’ or adultery on the part of their husband or wife.

“This ‘blame culture’ of unreasonable behaviour introduces a degree of discord and unpleasantness into divorce proceedings from their very inception.”

She said Resolution supported provisions in the 1996 Family Law Act for “no-fault” divorces, which were later shelved.

Pre-nuptial agreements

“If the government is serious about promoting amicable settlements through mediation and streamlined courts, it should commit to undertaking a thorough review of family law to deal with these issues,” she said.

Such a review could bring family law up to date by addressing issues such as the rights of couples who live together and the position of pre-nuptial agreements, she added.

Last year Court of Appeal judge Lord Justice Wall called for an end to fault-based divorces to help prevent acrimonious break-ups.

He said he wanted a new system which put the needs of children and financial provision at the heart of the divorce process.

Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/6437799.stm

Are they off their rockers!!! This is another case of these greedy lawyers making it easier for your wife to kick you out on a whim… and keep your kids and house.

Scary Spice strips a stripper at her baby shower bash!

Scary Spice strips a stripper at her baby shower bash!

London, Mar 17: Singer Mel B a.k.a Scary Spice was reportedly seen helping a stripper get his trouser off at her lavish baby bash, where she treated guests with a cake shaped liked a baby bump covered with an ‘edible leopard design cloth’.

The former Spice Girl threw her party at a function room in Beverly Hills Hotel.

The English pop singer, who claimed to be pregnant with actor Eddie Murphy’s child, also guzzled champagne and coped with the steps of the performer.

Meanwhile, Murphy has asked Scary Spice to prove her claim through a paternity test.

The comedian’s current girlfriend Tracey Edmonds maintained that the two were in a brief liaison before she started dating Murphy, and that the issue has to be sorted between the two.

“They had a quick relationship before I got together with Eddie. So that’s their business,” The Sun quoted Edmonds, as saying.

Edmonds added that if Murphy turns out to be the father, he would have to take responsibility of the baby.”There’ll be a paternity test and if it’s his then he’ll be responsible,” she added.

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