Opinion ID: 1620544
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: Survival of Paternity Action

Text: Janet's primary argument on appeal is that Jeffrey's paternity action survived his death. The issue of whether such an action survives the death of a putative father is one of first impression in Nebraska. Neb. Rev. Stat. § 25-322 (Reissue 1995) provides in relevant part that [a]n action does not abate by the death or other disability of a party, or by the transfer of any interest therein during its pendency, if the cause of action survives or continues. In the case of the death or other disability of a party, the court may allow the action to continue by or against his representative or successor in interest. Actions which survive, and thus may be revived in the name of a party's personal representative, are listed in Neb. Rev. Stat. § 25-1401 (Reissue 1995), which provides that [i]n addition to the causes of action which survive at common law, causes of action for mesne profits, or for an injury to real or personal estate, or for any deceit or fraud, shall also survive, and the action may be brought, notwithstanding the death of the person entitled or liable to the same. Neb. Rev. Stat. § 25-1402 (Reissue 1995) further provides that [n]o action pending in any court shall abate by the death of either or both the parties thereto, except an action for libel, slander, malicious prosecution, assault, or assault and battery, or for a nuisance, which shall abate by the death of the defendant. Despite the language of §§ 25-1401 and 25-1402 suggesting generally that all actions except those listed in the statutes survive, Nebraska case law has limited the list of those actions which survive to exclude those which involve purely personal rights. In Holmberg v. Holmberg, 106 Neb. 717, 718-19, 184 N.W. 134, 135 (1921), we concluded that a divorce action did not survive the death of one of the parties to the marriage, as [t]he purpose of the action [was] to dissolve the marriage relation, and that relation being dissolved by death, the proceedings after the death of one of the parties would be useless and of no avail. See, also, Williams v. Williams, 146 Neb. 383, 19 N.W.2d 630 (1945) (affirming Holmberg and noting personal nature of divorce action); Fitzgerald v. Clarke, 9 Neb. App. 898, 621 N.W.2d 844 (2001) (suit seeking enjoinment of regulations limiting inmate's ownership of personal property was personal to inmate and did not survive inmate's death). In State on behalf of J.R. v. Mendoza, 240 Neb. 149, 159, 481 N.W.2d 165, 172 (1992), we concluded that the primary purposes of the filiation statutes [were to identify] the biological fathers of children born out of wedlock and impos[e] upon them an obligation of support. The establishment of such a relationship is undoubtedly personal. The personal representative of a putative father's estate cannot be made the child's father. Nor can a support obligation be imposed upon the personal representative of a putative father's estate. See Carlson v. Bartels, 143 Neb. 680, 10 N.W.2d 671 (1943). The conclusion that a paternity action is personal and does not survive the death of a putative father is consistent with the rule in most jurisdictions. See, Hayes v. Smith, 194 Conn. 52, 480 A.2d 425 (1984); Matter of Mary Ellen C. v. Joseph William C., 79 A.D.2d 1024, 435 N.Y.S.2d 738 (1981); Pryor v. Jump, 183 Okla. 560, 83 P.2d 828 (1938). See, also, Bell v. Setzer, 375 So. 2d 61 (Fla. App. 1979) (action abates because no statute provides for its survival); K. K. v. Estate of M. F., 145 N.J. Super. 250, 367 A.2d 466 (1976) (same); Schumm v. Beery, 100 Cal. App. 2d 407, 224 P.2d 54 (1951) (same). See, generally, 41 Am. Jur. 2d Illegitimate Children § 63 (2005); Annot., 58 A.L.R.3d 188 (1974). But see, e.g., Ex parte L.F.B., 599 So. 2d 1179 (Ala. 1992) (statute provided that equitable actions, such as paternity action, survived death); In re Estate of Cody, 92 Ill. App. 3d 208, 415 N.E.2d 1131, 47 Ill. Dec. 818 (1980) (statute provided for survival of action); People in Interest of M. E. W. F., 42 Colo. App. 495, 600 P.2d 108 (1979) (court concluded that statutes providing for abatement apply only to actions enumerated in statute; since paternity was not included, action did not abate). [2] We therefore conclude that Jeffrey's paternity action was personal to him and did not survive his death. As such, the action could not be revived.