Maine Child Support: Division of Support Enforcement & Recovery (DSER)
Frequently Asked Questions About Paternity
Q. Should parents establish paternity if they are getting along and the father is
helping support the child?
A. Yes. Even if the father agrees to help support the child now, he may change his
mind, become disabled or even die. In some cases, unmarried parents can get government benefits
only if paternity is established.
Q. What if a mother is receiving or wants to receive Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) benefits?
A. Federal and state law requires a mother applying for or receiving TANF to cooperate
with the Division of Support Enforcement and Recovery (DSER) by naming a father. For further
information, contact the nearest Department of Health and Human Services TANF Office listed
in your phone book.
Q. What if a minor (under age 18) wants to sign an AOP form?
A. In Maine there is no age restriction for signing an AOP.
Q. What if a mother feels it is not safe for her and/or her child to reveal
the name of the father?
A. The "good cause" exceptions for domestic abuse/violence, incest and rape
are clear. Naming the father is not required if there is documented evidence that a mother
and/or child could be harmed in any way. For further information, contact a hospital social
worker, your local family violence shelter, or any Department of Health and Human Services
TANF Office.
Q. Does signing a voluntary AOP form establish any custody or visitation rights?
A. No. These can only be established by a court order.
Q. What if the father does not believe a child is his?
A. The father should seek genetic testing on his own or he and the mother should contact
a DSER Office and they will help arrange for a paternity test. The test will prove if the man
is the father.
Q. Are there any options available if only one parent wants to sign a voluntary
AOP?
A. Yes, there are two options.
1.
Either parent may choose to go to court for legal paternity
establishment. or
2. The mother may open a case with the Division of Support Enforcement and Recovery (DSER)
Office. DSER may refer the case to court for legal paternity establishment, which may include
genetic paternity testing. (See MAPP Contact Page)
Q. What if the father or mother thinks the pregnancy was an accident or they
did not want the child?
A. Both parents are responsible for financially and emotionally supporting their children,
even if the pregnancy was not planned. They should complete a voluntary acknowledgment of paternity
form as soon as the child is born.
Q. How long after a child is born can paternity be established?
A. In Maine, there is no age or time limit when a voluntary AOP can be signed.
Q. If a woman has her baby at home with a midwife, how do parents sign a voluntary
acknowledgment of paternity?
A. Midwives are responsible for sending the necessary birth information to the municipal
clerk's office in the town where the baby was born within fourteen days after the birth. After
this information is sent to the municipal clerk, the parents can complete the voluntary acknowledgment
of paternity form at the clerk's office. The clerk is authorized to notarize the form.
Q. If unwed parents happily live together, should they sign a voluntary acknowledgment
of paternity?
A. Yes. In Maine, only if parents are married is the father automatically considered
the legal father. Unmarried parents need to sign a voluntary AOP form in order to provide a
legal father for and protect the rights of their child.
Q. What last name can be given to a child?
A. A child can be given any last name, even if paternity has not been established.
After the birth papers have been signed, only a court order can change a last name. Name corrections,
such as spelling errors, can be made by contacting the municipal clerk in the city or town
where the child was born or the Maine Office of Vital Records. (See
MAPP Contact Page)
Q. If a mother or father live in another state or country, can paternity be
established?
A. Yes. States and some countries work together to establish paternity. The Maine mother
or father should contact their local municipal clerk to sign and notarize their pate of the
voluntary AOP form. Then the parent should sent the form to the out-of-state/country parent
for their signature and notarization. The completed voluntary AOP form should be sent back
to either the municpal clerk in Maine or the Maine Office of Vital Records. (See
MAPP Contact Page)
Q. Why should paternity be established, if a mother is planning to marry another
man who is going to adopt the child?
A. Marriage and adoption plans sometimes fall through. In the meantime, your child
is entitled to support and legal benefits from both parents. In addition, having the biological
father's name documented on a voluntary AOP form may provide availability of medical information
which, in the future, could save a child or grown child's life.
Q. How can parents establish paternity for their other child(ren)?
A. In Maine, paternity can be established at any time. It is just as important for
older children to have paternity established as it is for babies.
Q. Where can parents get a legal certified copy of their child's birth certificate?
A. Contact the Maine Office of Vital Records or the municpal office at the place of
birth or residence of the mother. A fee is charged. (See MAPP
Contact Page)
