Definition

1. Noun:
   • A paternity suit is a legal case brought to a court to officially determine whether a specific man is the biological father of a child. The primary purpose of this lawsuit is to establish legal paternity, which then creates obligations such as child support and may grant rights like custody or visitation.

Examples of Usage

• Noun:
  • She filed a paternity suit to secure financial support for her child.
  • The celebrity was involved in a high-profile paternity suit that was widely reported in the news.
  • The court ordered DNA testing as part of the paternity suit.

Advanced Usage

• The term is often used in formal, legal, and journalistic contexts. While the core meaning involves establishing fatherhood for a child "born out of wedlock," the legal action can be relevant in various situations where paternity is disputed or needs formal recognition.

Variants and Related Words

• Paternity case (n): A synonymous term for a paternity suit.
• Paternity test (n): A scientific test, often using DNA, used to determine biological fatherhood, which is a key piece of evidence in a paternity suit.
• Filiation proceeding (n): A more formal legal term for a case to determine parentage.

Synonyms

• Filiation suit
• Parentage action

Related Phrases

• To file/bring a paternity suit: The action of initiating the legal case.
  • The mother decided to file a paternity suit.
• To be named in a paternity suit: To be identified as the alleged father in the lawsuit.
  • He was shocked to be named in a paternity suit.

Related Idioms

• To establish paternity: This is the legal goal of a paternity suit.
  • The paternity suit was necessary to establish paternity and a child support order.

Noun

1. a lawsuit filed to determine the father of a child born out of wedlock (and to provide for the support of the child once paternity is determined)