Would It Be Too Late to Get a Paternity Test on John Edwards?

Speculation has it that Rielle Hunter wants a paternity test to determine if John Edwards is the father of her daughter. If that’s true, this will raise complications, only some of which would be personal or political.

So what’s the business about getting a paternity test? Maybe Hunter is upset about Elizabeth Edward’s new book Resilience, as Elizabeth is taking to the television chat shows this coming week, scheduled for the Today Show, Larry King Live and The View just for starters. Truly is this a case of two women scorned? But the rest is curious as well, the science and law of a paternity case at this date. Hunter had previously said she wasn’t going to seek paternity test answers and wanted no publicity surrounding anything regarding it involving her or her daughter. But just in case rumors are true, the paternity case itself has issues. The fact is that most states have a statute of limitations on matters such as paternity suits and other similar cases. For a child the interest has less stringent regulations, for most states allow a child to reach what is called the age of majority before it becomes too late. That’s because the court believes the child would have a particularly important interest in knowing his or her parents. On the other hand, the parental parties, the Dad in this case, would have face a time limit on getting the data. A statute of limitations is imposed in order to establish both fairness and limitations. The courts have said there has to be a distinct aid to any conflict. Court decisions regarding the statute of limitations most often favors the injured party, the one bringing the claim. Experts maintain it is likely too late since the issue was brought up originally during August 2008. So why now are the questions being asked. Elizabeth Edwards wonders herself about the paternity of Hunter’s baby. In a television snippet precursor to the Oprah Winfrey Show, where Elizabeth Edwards is scheduled to discuss her book, she is quoted as saying in answer to a question posed to Oprah about John Edward’s affair with Hunter and the paternity of the child, "I've seen a picture of the baby. I have no idea. It doesn't look like my children but I don't have any idea." This upcoming week Elizabeth Edwards is scheduled to make those rounds of television appearances while questions continue to be raised, so it will be interesting to find out what is decided about seeking paternity answers and if the court would consider the statute of limitations to have passed.