Baxter v. Rowan (Tennessee 2020)

A valid paternity acknowledgement is the equivalent of a paternity order and grants a parent standing to sue for visitation. The father signed a paternity acknowledgement and several years later filed for visitation. The trial court granted the visitation. The mother appealed the final order for several reasons. Relevant to child support, she argued the father didn’t have standing to sue for visitation because the paternity acknowledgement was not a final parentage order. The court of appeals found the father had standing. A valid paternity acknowledgement is the equivalent of a paternity order and affords the father standing in bring a suit. The statute clearly stated that unless rescinded, an acknowledgement is conclusive of paternity without further court order.