Section Newsletters

Articles on Voluntary Acknowledgement of Paternity

VAPs and you By Jared Giuffre Child Law, May 2019 An overview of voluntary acknowledgement of paternity.
VAP—Standing to challenge By David House Child Law, December 2013 The Illinois Supreme Court will decide this term whether the State has standing to file a motion to declare the nonexistence of a parent child relationship.
Case law update on issues of paternity By Joan Scott Family Law, January 2012 In the recent case of In re Paternity of an Unknown Minor, the First District Court of Appeals affirmed the lower court's decision and found a mother in contempt of court for refusing to comply with an order to submit herself and her one-year-old son to DNA testing on the grounds that a man other than the petitioner had previously signed a voluntary acknowledgment of paternity.
1 comment (Most recent January 19, 2012)
Who’s your daddy? Challenges to voluntary acknowledgments of paternity By Joan Scott Family Law, September 2010 The VAP has the full force and effect of a judgment and provides a basis for seeking child support without further proceedings to establish paternity. After the presumption of paternity created by a VAP becomes conclusive, ratification of paternity in a judicial proceedings is neither required nor permitted.
1 comment (Most recent September 11, 2010)
Who has the right to contest the validity of a voluntary acknowledgment of paternity when dealing with the Putative Father Registry? By Kimberly J. Anderson Family Law, May 2009 A look at the challenges of contesting and amending of a Voluntary Acknowledgment of Paternity in an adoption case.
What is the definition of “Commencing legal proceedings” when dealing with the Putative Father Registry? By Kimberly J. Anderson Family Law, March 2009 In the case outlined in this article, the father registered with the Putative Father Registry, and as required by statute, within thirty days of the date that he signed the Putative Father Registry, he “commenced legal proceedings” to establish parentage of his child.
Results of DNA testing cannot be used to rescind a voluntary acknowledgment of paternity By Michele M. Jochner General Practice, Solo, and Small Firm, November 2004 The issue presented in People ex rel. The Department of Public Aid v. Smith (Docket No. 97120, Sept. 23, 2004) (2004 Ill. LEXIS 1027), is whether a man who signed a voluntary acknowledgment of paternity can use subsequent DNA test results to vacate that acknowledgment.

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