Opinion ID: 1914980
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: The Equitable Doctrines

Text: ¶26. Randy and Selena argue that Norma and Brendan are equitably estopped from asserting that Randy is not Selena's father. Equitable estoppel requires proof of three elements: (1) an action or an inaction that induces; (2) reliance by another; and (3) to his or her detriment. Harms v. Harms, 174 Wis. 2d 780, 785, 498 N.W.2d 229 (1993). Equitable estoppel has been applied in family law contexts. Id. (concluding that equitable estoppel could be applied in a contempt proceeding to show why child support was not in arrears); J.J. v. R.J., 162 Wis. 2d 420, 429, 469 N.W.2d 877 (Ct. App. 1991) (applying equitable estoppel to a mother's action to have the court declare that her husband is not the father of a child born during their marriage); L.H. v. D.H., 142 Wis. 2d 606, 614-15, 419 N.W.2d 283 (Ct. App. 1987) (concluding that equitable estoppel may be available as a defense to a mother's institution of paternity proceedings). Equitable estoppel has also been used to prevent raising a statutory defense in other types of actions. See Fritsch v. St. Croix Cent. Sch. Dist., 183 Wis. 2d 336, 345-46, 515 N.W.2d 328 (Ct. App. 1994) (concluding that a school district was equitably estopped from raising a teacher's failure to comply with the notice of claim requirements of Wis. Stat. § 893.80(1)(b) because of the conduct of the school district's agents). ¶27. Here, two statutes address a presumption of paternity grounded in the results of genetic tests: Wis. Stat. § 891.41 and Wis. Stat. § 767.48(1m). Section 891.41, which also contains a presumption of paternity based on marriage, states in relevant part: (1) A man is presumed to be the natural father of a child if any of the following applies: (a) He and the child's natural mother are or have been married to each other and the child is conceived or born after marriage and before the granting of a decree of legal separation, annulment or divorce between the parties. . . . . (2) In a legal action or proceeding, a presumption under sub. (1) is rebutted by results of a genetic test . . . that show that a man other than the man presumed to be the father under sub. (1) is not excluded as the father of the child and that the statistical probability of the man's parentage is 99.0% or higher . . . . And § 767.48(1m) states: If genetic tests ordered under this section or s. 49.225 show that the alleged father is not excluded and that the statistical probability of the alleged father's parentage is 99.0% or higher, the alleged father shall be rebuttably presumed to be the child's parent. ¶28. Although we have not employed equitable estoppel to preclude rebutting the statutory presumption set out in Wis. Stat. § 891.41 or in Wis. Stat. § 767.48(1m), we have applied it in the past to prevent a party from raising a statutory defense to paternity. For example, in State ex rel. Susedik v. Knutson, 52 Wis. 2d 593, 191 N.W.2d 23 (1971), we utilized equitable estoppel to prevent Knutson from raising the five-year statute of limitations then set out in Wis. Stat. § 893.195 (1969-70), for determinations of paternity. We explained that the issue was whether Knutson's acts were so unfair and misleading as to outbalance the public's interest in setting a limitation on bringing [paternity] actions. Id. at 598. In concluding that they were, we used our equitable powers to prevent unfairness to the child and the mother that would have occurred because of their reliance on Knutson's actions that caused them to delay in bringing a paternity action. [12] ¶29. In the case before us, the issue is whether the actions and inactions of Norma and Brendan were so unfair as to preclude them from overcoming the public's interest in the marital presumption of Wis. Stat. § 891.41(1) based on the results of the genetic tests that Brendan took. ¶30. Randy and Selena assert they have proved all three elements by uncontradicted evidence, as to both Norma and Brendan. They argue that Norma and Brendan's deceit and lack of action to assert Brendan's putative paternity, which was ongoing all through Norma's pregnancy and until Selena was fifteen months old, caused them to believe Randy is Selena's father and to develop deep emotional ties with each other. They assert that breaking those ties would be very harmful to Selena, as Randy is the only father she has ever known. [13] Additionally, Brendan and Norma stood silent when Randy paid all of Selena's birthing expenses and met all her financial needs both before and after the genetic tests were performed. Furthermore, Randy has been fully committed to acting as Selena's father. He has organized his life around providing for her care for six years and has provided for her needs, emotionally and financially. And finally, as Randy's daughter, Selena has the status of a marital child. ¶31. In contrast, Norma and Brendan have asserted nothing to counter the findings of the circuit court or Selena and Randy's arguments, except for the presumption under Wis. Stat. § 767.48(1m) that Brendan is Selena's biological father based on genetic tests. However, in addition to the reliance that Selena and Randy have shown on the actions and inactions of Norma and Brendan and the unfairness that Norma and Brendan are seeking to repeat here, the circuit court determined that it is in Selena's best interest to adjudicate Randy as Selena's father. We deem the circuit court's determination very significant, and we note that neither Norma nor Brendan contests its accuracy. Furthermore, Wisconsin favors preserving the status of marital children, even when it can be positively shown that the husband of the mother could not have been the father of the child. [14] Therefore, we conclude that Norma and Brendan's actions and lack of action, which were relied on by both Selena and Randy, are so unfair, that when combined with the state's interest in preserving Selena's status as a marital child, they outbalance the public's interest in a purely biological approach to parenthood. Accordingly, we conclude that Norma and Brendan are equitably estopped from rebutting the marital presumption of Wis. Stat. § 891.41 in regard to Randy's paternity of Selena. [15]
¶32. Randy and Selena also request us to affirm the equitable parent doctrine utilized by the court of appeals. The equitable parent doctrine is generally described as originating in Atkinson v. Atkinson, 408 N.W.2d 516 (Mich. App. 1987), where it was employed when equitable estoppel could not be used to prevent the court from ordering a husband to submit to blood tests. Id. at 518-19. An equitable parent is described as one who through judicial determination is able to exercise all the rights and responsibilities of a natural parent. Id. at 520. To support the application of the equitable parent doctrine, Atkinson required only a person: (1) who wants to be recognized as the child's parent; (2) who is willing to support the child; (3) who wants the rights of custody or visitation in regard to the child; and (4) who raises certain circumstances, that were otherwise undefined by Atkinson. Id. at 519. ¶33. We do not employ the equitable parent doctrine because its parameters are too indistinct, permitting its use to create uncertainties in the law. We also do not approve its use because equitable estoppel is a well-established legal principal with definite elements that will address those instances where unfairness in a proceeding would harm children and adults, absent the intervention of the court's equitable powers. See, David M. Cotter, Putting Family Ties First [and] Science Second, 25 Fam. Advoc. 22 (Fall 2002). And finally, to the extent the equitable parent doctrine has been employed in the past, we preclude its application in the future. See J.J., 162 Wis. 2d at 430.