According to today's newspapers, an Australian man is suing his wife for the money he spent bringing up kids he thought were his but were actually another man's. I know what the guys think about this, but what do you girls think? Would the court be right in forcing the woman to pay back the money after she was unfaithful and admitted the kids were not her husband's? Should she then sue the real father for the money? Since she could hardly know 100% for sure that the kids were another man's when they were born, does that let her off the hook?

Now that paternity can be established through DNA testing, will we see court cases like this in Thailand?

Today's news? Try last month's, at least here in Sydney anyway... anyway, this is not Thailand related.

According to today's newspapers, an Australian man is suing his wife for the money he spent bringing up kids he thought were his but were actually another man's. I know what the guys think about this, but what do you girls think? Would the court be right in forcing the woman to pay back the money after she was unfaithful and admitted the kids were not her husband's? Should she then sue the real father for the money? Since she could hardly know 100% for sure that the kids were another man's when they were born, does that let her off the hook?

This appalls me, primarily because of the blatant disregard shown for the feelings of the children involved. This man thought they were his biological children and raised them as such yet he has so little feeling for them that he proceeds with a lawsuit like this?! How are the grown children going to feel knowing that their father -- because the man who raises you is your father in the deepest sense, no matter what the genetic tie is or isn't -- regards the connection with them as worthless because they don't share his DNA?

My take on this is that he is a lousy father in the extreme. Most men, having loved and raised children, would still love them if he later found out they were not biologically his. Sure, he might be angry with the mother, but that wouldn't change his love for the kids, and no man who loved his kids would enter such a lawsuit.

Clearly the whole point and essence of parenthood has passed this guy by altogether.

According to today's newspapers, an Australian man is suing his wife for the money he spent bringing up kids he thought were his but were actually another man's. I know what the guys think about this, but what do you girls think? Would the court be right in forcing the woman to pay back the money after she was unfaithful and admitted the kids were not her husband's? Should she then sue the real father for the money? Since she could hardly know 100% for sure that the kids were another man's when they were born, does that let her off the hook?

This appalls me, primarily because of the blatant disregard shown for the feelings of the children involved. This man thought they were his biological children and raised them as such yet he has so little feeling for them that he proceeds with a lawsuit like this?! How are the grown children going to feel knowing that their father -- because the man who raises you is your father in the deepest sense, no matter what the genetic tie is or isn't -- regards the connection with them as worthless because they don't share his DNA?

My take on this is that he is a lousy father in the extreme. Most men, having loved and raised children, would still love them if he later found out they were not biologically his. Sure, he might be angry with the mother, but that wouldn't change his love for the kids, and no man who loved his kids would enter such a lawsuit.

Clearly the whole point and essence of parenthood has passed this guy by altogether.

Looking at the few facts that we have here...

I see your point but he is probably reacting to the unimaginable trauma of finding out that the children he thought were his are not. His wife betrayed him in the worst possible way.

AND the op says "kids" plural. Are the children twins or ...what? I will try and find that article as this particular aspect of the case is unclear to me at the moment.

Probably in the long term he will demonstate his love for his children, biological or not. But at the moment he is probably coming to grips with the fact that much of his life has been based on lies. The wife deserves to be held accountable for this.

Clearly the whole point and essence of marriage has passed this woman altogether.

The full story is set out in a column in The Australian. The details are a little different from what I originally posted - the husband is suing for his pain and suffering rather than the expense of the kids' upbringing, and he only found out about their real paternity after he and his wife separated:

"Liam and Meredith Magill were married in April 1988. A son was born in April 1989. Unknown to her husband, a few months later Meredith began an affair with a man, having unprotected sex until early 1995. In July 1990 a second son was born. Then, the next year, a daughter. After separating, Meredith admitted to Liam her concerns over paternity. A few years later she agreed to DNA tests. Liam learned that the two younger children were not his.

He was left devastated, suffered chronic depression and was unable to work. He sued Meredith for the tort of deceit, claiming financial compensation for his pain and suffering, but not for money spent on the upbringing and maintenance of the children."