Who The Father Is On Paper
S.C. Code 63-17-50 — a signed acknowledgment, and sixty days to rescind it
A legal finding. A verified voluntary acknowledgment of paternity creates a legal finding of paternity. Any signatory may rescind it within the earlier of sixty days or the date of an administrative or judicial proceeding about the child, such as one to set support, in which that signatory is a party.
After the sixty days, the acknowledgment may be challenged in court only for fraud, duress or material mistake of fact, and the person challenging it bears the burden of proof.
During a challenge, legal responsibilities arising from the acknowledgment, child support among them, are not suspended except for good cause. No proceeding is needed to ratify an acknowledgment nobody challenges. A particular case is a question for a licensed South Carolina attorney.
Sources for this section (1)
- S.C. Code 63-17-50 — Verified voluntary acknowledgments
Legal information, not legal advice. Verified as of October 2026. Applying it to a particular situation is the work of a licensed South Carolina attorney.