Opinion ID: 4547294
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: analysis

Text: Under Nebraska common law, now embodied in Neb. Rev. Stat. § 42-377 (Supp. 2019), children born to parties in a marriage relationship “shall be legitimate unless otherwise decreed by the court.” 5 In this case, it is undisputed that Cameo and Aaron were married when the child was born. Neither Cameo, Aaron, nor Ian sought to delegitimize the child or to challenge Aaron’s status as the child’s legal father. Instead, the State filed the operative complaint expressly seeking to “disestablish” Aaron as the child’s father and to establish Ian as the biological father. The question presented here is a narrow one: Is the State statutorily authorized to bring a paternity action seeking to delegitimize a child born during a marriage relationship in order to establish biological paternity in another man? [2,3] To answer this question, we examine the statutes that govern actions to establish and disestablish paternity. In doing so, we remember that paternity proceedings are purely statutory, and because such statutes modify the common law, they must be strictly construed. 6 Statutory language is to be given its plain and ordinary meaning, and an appellate court will not resort to interpretation to ascertain the meaning of statutory words which are plain, direct, and unambiguous. 7 Civil proceedings to establish the paternity of a child are governed by Neb. Rev. Stat. §§ 43-1411 (Reissue 2016) and 43-1411.01 (Cum. Supp. 2018). Section 43-1411 sets out the circumstances under which a paternity action may be instituted 4 See State v. Sierra, 305 Neb. 249, 939 N.W.2d 808 (2020). 5 See, also, Neb. Rev. Stat. § 43-1406(2) (Reissue 2016) (“[a] child whose parents marry is legitimate”). 6 See State on behalf of B.M. v. Brian F., 288 Neb. 106, 846 N.W.2d 257 (2014). 7 In re Guardianship of Eliza W., 304 Neb. 995, 938 N.W.2d 307 (2020). - 377 - Nebraska Supreme Court Advance Sheets 306 Nebraska Reports STATE ON BEHALF OF MIAH S. v. IAN K. Cite as 306 Neb. 372 and identifies who may institute such an action. Those authorized to bring an action to establish paternity under § 43-1411 include the mother or the alleged father of a child, the guardian or next friend of a child, and the State. Section 43-1411.01 dictates in which courts an action to establish paternity may be filed. Civil proceedings to disestablish paternity are governed by Neb. Rev. Stat. § 43-1412.01 (Reissue 2016), which provides in relevant part: An individual may file a complaint for relief and the court may set aside a final judgment, court order, administrative order, obligation to pay child support, or any other legal determination of paternity if a scientifically reliable genetic test performed in accordance with sections 43-1401 to 43-1418 establishes the exclusion of the individual named as a father in the legal determination. In Alisha C. v. Jeremy C., 8 we held that the plain language of § 43-1412.01 is not limited to setting aside legal determinations of paternity regarding children born out of wedlock, but is broad enough to also encompass disestablishing legal determinations regarding children born during a marriage. In the instant case, we requested supplemental briefing addressing whether the State is an “individual” authorized to bring a civil proceeding to disestablish a child’s paternity under § 43-1412.01. Having received and considered that briefing, it is notable that the parties agree the State is not an “individual” who may file a complaint to disestablish paternity under § 43-1412.01. But the State, in its supplemental briefing, contends it did not bring an action to disestablish paternity under § 43-1412.01, but, rather, it initiated a proceeding to establish paternity under § 43-1411. The State argues it is one of several parties expressly authorized under that statute to institute such an action. 8 Alisha C. v. Jeremy C., 283 Neb. 340, 808 N.W.2d 875 (2012). - 378 - Nebraska Supreme Court Advance Sheets 306 Nebraska Reports STATE ON BEHALF OF MIAH S. v. IAN K. Cite as 306 Neb. 372 It is true that § 43-1411 authorizes the State to bring a civil proceeding “to establish the paternity of a child.” But the definition of “child” as used in § 43-1411 is governed by Neb. Rev. Stat. § 43-1401 (Reissue 2016), which provides in relevant part: For purposes of sections 43-1401 to 43-1418: (1) Child shall mean a child under the age of eighteen years born out of wedlock; (2) Child born out of wedlock shall mean a child whose parents were not married to each other at the time of its birth, except that a child shall not be considered as born out of wedlock if its parents were married at the time of its conception but divorced at the time of its birth. The definition of legitimacy or illegitimacy for other purposes shall not be affected by the provisions of [sections 43-1401 to 43-1418]. The statutory definitions of the terms “child” and “child born out of wedlock” were enacted in 1994 and have remained unchanged since that time. 9 Because the State relies exclusively on § 43-1411 as the statutory authority for commencing this action, we find these statutory definitions are dispositive. [4,5] An action to establish paternity is statutory in nature, and the authority to bring such action must be found in the statute. 10 Read together, §§ 43-1411 and 43-1401(1) authorize the State to bring an action to establish the paternity of a child born out of wedlock. The child in this case was not born out of wedlock; she was born during the marriage of Cameo and Aaron. Consequently, when the State filed this action, the child was the legitimate daughter of Cameo and Aaron and was not a child on whose behalf the State was authorized to initiate a civil proceeding to establish paternity under § 43-1411. To the extent our 1998 opinion in State on behalf of Hopkins v. Batt 11 9 See 1994 Neb. Laws, L.B. 1224. 10 See Bryan M. v. Anne B., 292 Neb. 725, 874 N.W.2d 824 (2016). 11 State on behalf of Hopkins v. Batt, 253 Neb. 852, 573 N.W.2d 425 (1998). - 379 - Nebraska Supreme Court Advance Sheets 306 Nebraska Reports STATE ON BEHALF OF MIAH S. v. IAN K. Cite as 306 Neb. 372 held otherwise, we expressly overrule it as contrary to the plain language of the governing statutes. The State’s lack of statutory authority to bring this paternity action under § 43-1411 requires that we vacate the separate juvenile court’s order in all respects and remand the cause with directions to dismiss the State’s complaint.