A family court judge recently ruled that the parents of a teenage boy may not reveal to the boy that his biological father is not the man he has believed to be his father all his life, but another man with whom his mother had an affair several years ago. The most recent ruling is just one of many differing conclusions that various courts have reached in the many paternity, custody and fathers rights suits filed by the parents throughout the boy's life.

According to court documents, the boy was conceived when his married mother began an affair with a married man about 20 years ago. During the affair, the boy was conceived and born. About two years after his birth, the extramarital relationship ended.

When the boy was about three, the mother told her husband about the affair and the possibility that he was not the boy's father. The couple then decided to take the unusual step of filing to adopt the boy. Around this time, the biological father made his first paternity and custody filing. A DNA test confirmed that the boy was his son.

The couple went back and forth in family court for more than 12 years, with different judges issuing differing rulings on whether the boy should be told about his true biological father. Most recently, a court ruled that learning the truth would "seriously endanger" the now 16-year-old boy, and that the biological father could not have visitation rights. It is not yet known whether the father plans to appeal this decision.

Source: Chicago Tribune, "In paternity dispute, family can withhold biological father's identity from teen, court rules," Steve Schmadeke, Jan. 2, 2012