Bryan M. v. Anne B. (Nebraska 2016)

When filing a paternity action, a potential father cannot file as a next friend to the child to get around the statute of limitations. A next friend is a person who is significantly connected to the child and who is bringing the action for the child’s benefit. A person who knows he may be the biological father of a child may not sit on this information and then claim equitable defenses to get around the statute of limitations for a paternity action. The four year statute of limitations on paternity actions is constitutional because it is a sufficient amount of time for natural parents to assert their rights, and it protects children from being removed from stable homes.