The German Child Protection Association (Deutscher Kinderschutzbund) has broadly welcomed the Bundestag’s decision made Thursday evening to make it easier for biological fathers to challenge the legal paternity of non‑biological fathers.
Federal managing director Daniel Grein told the “Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland” that “children need clarity, stability and legal certainty when it comes to questions of ancestry”. He noted that the draft bill follows the ruling of the Federal Constitutional Court and contains several sensible measures, such as a stronger emphasis on the child’s best interests and simplified procedures for mutually agreed solutions.
Grein added that the association still views certain provisions critically. This is especially true for the proposed “second chance” for biological fathers. While that option is constitutionally justified, he found it unsatisfactory that a child’s right to legal certainty and reliable parent‑child relationships would be subordinated to the rights of the biological father.
Under the reform, a biological father can now contest paternity if he has a close relationship with the child or if a prior relationship ended without his fault. Another provision aims to prevent a race for paternity: if the father has already initiated a court proceeding to confirm his paternity, no other man may claim paternity until the court makes a decision.
The reform also expands the child’s say: if the child is at least 14 years old, he or she can stop the mother from assigning another man as the legal father in place of the biological father.