Amanda C. Watson v. Chad Spencer and Michael J. Heather

Deland, Florida family law lawyers represented the Plaintiff and Defendants in a paternity action.

The Circuit Court found that Chad Spencer was the natural parent and father of Amanda C. Watson's child, C.H.S.,

based on presumptive paternity under section 742.10(1), Florida Statutes (2023). The mother asserts the trial court erred in finding that the voluntary acknowledgement of paternity was the product of her undisputed fraud while simultaneously holding there was no conclusive evidence to rebut the presumption of paternity in accordance with section 742.10(4), Florida Statutes. We agree. See A.D.A. v. D.M.F., 204 So.3d 523, 528 (Fla. 4th DCA 2016) (finding a mother could support a challenge to presumptive paternity based on fraud where the challenge was brought by a putative father).



Based upon the trial court's explicit finding of fraud, the presumption of paternity was rebutted by the child's putative father. See id. at 527 ("A presumption of paternity cannot rest on a false affidavit."). Once the presumption was rebutted, further proceedings were necessary to determine legal paternity. We therefore reverse and remand for further proceedings consistent with this opinion and this Court's opinion in Heather v. Spencer, 49 Fla.L.Weekly D2129b (Fla. 5th DCA Oct. 18, 2024), the concurrent appeal by the child's putative father.





Watson v. Spencer, 5D2023-3276 (Fla. App. Nov 15, 2024)

Reversed.