Dear Editor,

I am writing this as a warning to all men in the state of Indiana. Make certain that you do not sign a paternity affidavit without first requiring a paternity test. The state of Indiana, unlike several other states, does not require proof of paternity and relies completely on the word of the child’s mother. Once you sign a paternity affidavit, you will not be able to overturn or reverse it, even if you have DNA test proof that the child is not yours.

My family has been living a nightmare since my brother’s death in 2022. In 2001, a woman told him he was the father of her child. He doubted her claim but “wanted to do the right thing.” At the mother’s request, my brother attempted to put the child on his company health insurance. The company required a paternity test. The mother refused, and the coverage was never engaged. Approximately 17 months after the birth, my brother told the mother that he was going to court to seek parenting time and a child support schedule. The mother had been demanding money. She then told him he was not the father and that she would be changing the child’s name, stripping him of parental rights and removing his name from the birth certificate. My brother was never served any documents or asked to acknowledge any legal actions. He did not hear from the mother or daughter for the rest of his life.

My brother died in January 2022. I flew to Indiana to take care of his estate. One day after the sale of his home, the “daughter” filed legal documents declaring herself the sole heir to his estate. The basis for this was a paternity affidavit that he allegedly signed in the hospital following the birth in 2001. The affidavit had a different name on it than my brother’s legal name. That did not matter. The “mother,” as part of the name change process, signed a document stating that “paternity had not been proven” and she was the “child’s only parent.” My brother’s name appeared nowhere on this document, and he was never served papers of the outcome. The court refused our pleas to require a paternity test.

A judge in Noble County not only awarded my brother’s entire estate to a stranger but also refused to pay me for the time and expense I spent administering it.

It took just a mere look to realize that the “daughter” was not related to my family. I hired a private investigator to obtain a DNA sample, which a lab processed and provided proof that this “daughter” was not my brother’s child. My family has spent many hours, many tears and a lot of money to fight this. We continue to do so.

So, gentlemen, the moral of the story is to make absolutely certain that you require a DNA test before signing a paternity affidavit. The state of Indiana will not be on your side until its laws are updated.

Virginia Ray Harshman
Sarasota, Fla.