Question:  I live in Atlanta and I'm not sure that my girlfriend's baby is mine. I think the child might be mine, but I'm not sure and I before I start paying child support I need to know if the kid is mine. How can I prove that the child is mine, that I'm the father?

The kid is 6 months old and I'd definitely pay child support, but I think I might not be the father. I know my girlfriend is seeing another guy and I think the child could easily be his. I know that they met at work and that they've been seeing each other almost every weekend. She's still my girlfriend, but because I travel a lot on business, I told her it was fine if she wanted to date other guys. I've actually met him at an Atlanta Hawks game and he seems like a very nice person. But I don't want to be paying child support for his kid.

My girlfriend works at Phipps Plaza and she makes decent money, but she's been asking me for a lot of money for the child, and I really don't know how she's calculating what I should pay. So I want to speak with a real child support lawyer to know my rights.

The reason I think that the child may not be mine is because when we were out the other night she got drunk and she was joking that the boy doesn't look anything like me. That got me wondering that I might not the father.

So that's why I'm writing to you, to see how I can prove if I'm really the father or not.

T.W. in Atlanta

Answer:  The good news is that paternity can be easily determined with a DNA test. A DNA test is extremely accurate and is used throughout the United States to prove paternity. 

A paternity DNA test works because we all inherit our DNA from our biological parents. Half comes from our mother and half from our father. Simply put, a DNA paternity test compares a child's DNA pattern with that of the alleged father to determine if there is a match. When done properly, the test is about 100% accurate.

Of course, if you are proven to be the father, then you will be ordered to pay child support in accordance with the Georgia child support guidelines. But if you are not the father, then you would have no child support obligation under the laws of Georgia.

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