Case Name: David CALLAHAN, Petitioner, v. DEPARTMENT OF REVENUE, o/b/o Kathleen ROBERTS, Respondent
Court: Florida District Court of Appeal
Jurisdiction: Florida
Decision Date: 2001-11-30
Citations: 800 So. 2d 679
Docket Number: No. 5D01-1733
Parties: David CALLAHAN, Petitioner, v. DEPARTMENT OF REVENUE, o/b/o Kathleen ROBERTS, Respondent.
Judges: SAWAYA, J., concurs.
Reporter: Southern Reporter, Second Series
Volume: 800
Pages: 679–684

Head Matter:
David CALLAHAN, Petitioner, v. DEPARTMENT OF REVENUE, o/b/o Kathleen ROBERTS, Respondent.
No. 5D01-1733.
District Court of Appeal of Florida, Fifth District.
Nov. 30, 2001.
Thomas W. Deans of Law Offices of Thomas W. Deans, P.A., Melbourne, for Petitioner.
Robert A. Butterworth, Attorney General, Tallahassee, and Jon J. Johnson, Assistant Attorney General, Tampa, for Respondent.

Opinion:
SHARP, W" J.
David Callahan, petitioner, seeks certio-rari review of an order of the circuit court requiring him to submit to a DNA paternity test to establish his biological paternity of A.R., a two-year-old child, and his con comitant duty to pay child support. The Florida Department of Revenue brought this proceeding pursuant to the Uniform Interstate Family Support Act, at the request of the State of Arkansas, which has been paying various forms of welfare to A.R.'s mother, Kathleen Roberts, a resident of Arkansas, on behalf of the child. We grant the petition and quash the order requiring DNA tests.
Department of Health and Rehabilitative Services v. Privette, 617 So.2d 305 (Fla.1993) established the strong Florida public policy that in a case similar to this one, DNA tests to establish that a man other than the legal father of a child is the biological father will not be ordered unless the court determines that it is in the best interest of the child. In this case, the trial court did not make that determination, nor would the record support such a finding.
The facts in this case are unique but all such cases have their own distinctiveness and infinite variation. In February 1998, the mother of A.R. and David Roberts sought a divorce in Florida. They had four children, ages ranging from ten to two. The divorce was final at the end of April 1998. A.R. was apparently conceived in April of 1998.
Kathleen Roberts and the children relocated to Arkansas. Approximately one month before A.R. was born, Kathleen remarried David Roberts. They are currently living as an intact family, together with their children and A.R. Both Kathleen and David understand that A.R. is not David's biological child, but according to the guardian ad litem's report, David considers her to be one of his own and loves her as much as the others. His name is on her birth certificate. Kathleen Roberts works part time, earning $400.00 per month. She home-schools the children and they are well cared for, healthy and happy.
Also, according to the guardian ad li-tem's report, Callahan admits he may be the biological father of A.R., but he wants no involvement with her in any way. Currently he is unemployed. He is being supported by his wife, an adult daughter, and a son who plays professional baseball. He has no desire or intent to be a father to A.R.
The guardian at litem strongly recommended against allowing the DNA test to go forward, based on the best interest of the child. Initially, the trial court denied the motion for DNA testing, based on the guardian's report, but stated that it might allow the test to proceed, if the legal father were notified and advised of the fact his parental rights could be terminated, and if he did not object.
The Department then renewed its motion for DNA testing, based on a letter allegedly signed by both the Roberts, in which they said:
[W]e understand that since David Callahan is the father of [A.R.], David Roberts has no legal rights to her. This would be the case whether Mr. Callahan pays child support or not since he is her biological father. Since he is her biological father, we would expect that he also should share some degree of responsibility by paying child support and expect that this be pursued. If he is man enough to father a child then he should be man enough to take responsibility for his actions. We have cooperated in every way with everything that has been requested of us. He has not done anything requested of him and manages to avoid the situation entirely. This is unfair to [A.,R.] and should not be acceptable to any judge who handles this case. The fact that we are now married should have no bearing on this case since we are not requesting spousal support. She is his child regardless of marital status.
Based on this letter, the court ruled that Privette had been satisfied. It determined that the legal father had consented to having his parental rights terminated. And further, it said, there is no good reason, if Callahan indeed tests out as the biological father, that he should not assume the status as legal father of A.R., and become obligated to pay child support.
In Privette, the Florida Supreme Court expressed concern and intent to protect the parental rights of a legal father, even if there were a biological father in the picture, where it was in the best interest of the child. That case was remanded to make a "best-interest" determination, and to allow the legal father the opportunity to participate in the proceedings. It appeared the legal father had abandoned the mother and she was living in poverty. Thus, the court concluded, that might be a case in which the status of legal fatherhood should be overturned.
In this case, A.R. has been accepted as one of the legal father's own children. She is living with him in an intact family situation, and has no relationship with the putative biological father, Callahan. And, Callahan has absolutely no interest in establishing any kind of a relationship with A.R. The only interest being furthered here is that of the State of Arkansas in recouping welfare funds being expended on A.R. In Privette, the supreme court made it clear that is not a sufficient basis to challenge the status of a legal father. Further, in G.F.C. v. S.G., 686 So.2d 1382 (Fla. 5th DCA 1997), we held in a paternity suit brought by the biological father, that mere biology was also not a sufficient basis to disrupt an intact family. Pertinent considerations should relate to the best interest of the child. See Fernandez v. McKenney, 776 So.2d 1118 (Fla. 5th DCA 2001) (Sharp, W., J., concurring specially).
There is another line of cases that allows a legal father who doubts his paternity of a child born in a marital relationship, to establish that he is not the biological father of the child and thereby escape any child support obligations or responsibilities for the child. These cases are difficult to reconcile with Privette, et al, in some regards, but the key uniting factor is that the man who is the legal father initiates the cause of action, and the social policy that his right not to be burdened with a child who is not his, trumps the child's best interests.
That does not appear to be the case here. David Roberts did not file this action seeking to be relieved of his status of being A.R.'s legal father. The letter filed in the record may lend itself to that interpretation, but it also can be read to indicate that Roberts has no conception about his status as a legal father, and his right to preserve that relationship with A.R. Further the letter is totally in conflict with the report of the guardian ad litem, and suspect in its authenticity. It does not address the key issue here, which is the best interest of A.R.
Petition for Writ of Certiorari GRANTED.
SAWAYA, J., concurs.
COBB, J., concurs specially with opinion.
. Ch. 88, Fla. Stat. (2000).
. See Daniel v. Daniel, 695 So.2d 1253 (Fla.1997); Lefler v. Lefler, 722 So.2d 941 (Fla. 4th DCA 1998); Gantt v. Gantt, 716 So.2d 846 (Fla. 4th DCA 1998).
. A further complication in this case is what affect Arkansas law may have on this family relationship, since A.R. and her family now reside there. All we can do is uphold the strong public policy of Florida enunciated by Privette. In a reverse situation, had Callahan sought to establish his paternity status as legal father of A.R., assuming A.R. and family were living in this state, his lawsuit would be dis missed. See G.F.C. v. S.G., 686 So.2d 1382 (Fla. 5th DCA 1997).