Low-Income Fathers, Adoption, and the Biology Plus Test for Paternal Rights

Authors

• Lacey Johnson, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville

Abstract

This Comment purposes to explore ways in which the current “biology plus” test for determining existence of a paternal relationship disproportionately affects lower-income minority fathers who are unlikely to be fully aware of the legal hoops they must jump through to establish paternity. Part II of this Comment provides necessary background on both the history of fathers’ rights and current child-rearing in the United States. Part III lays out the development of the biology plus test. Part IV examines, in some detail, three ways in which the biology plus test disproportionately harms low-income fathers of color. Part V discusses the implications of these issues and promotes continued refinement of the biology plus test in order to alleviate its negative effects.

Recommended Citation

Lacey Johnson, Low-Income Fathers, Adoption, and the Biology Plus Test for Paternal Rights, 70 Ark. L. Rev. 1113 (2018).
https://doi.org/10.54119/alr.ynvz4479
Available at: https://scholarworks.uark.edu/alr/vol70/iss4/6