Legal Definitions - bastardy process

Definition: A legal process, also known as a paternity suit, used to determine whether a person is the father of a child born out of wedlock. This process is usually initiated by the mother in order to obtain child support from the father.

Examples:

• A woman files a paternity suit against a man she believes to be the father of her child, in order to establish legal paternity and obtain child support.
• A man denies that he is the father of a child and requests a paternity test to be conducted as part of the bastardy process.

These examples illustrate how the bastardy process, or paternity suit, is used to legally establish the father of a child and obtain child support. It is often initiated by the mother, but can also be requested by the alleged father in order to prove or disprove paternity.