Overview
putative father
Quick Reference
A man alleged to be the father of an illegitimate child. If the court accepts the mother's allegations, the man is declared the putative father and may be ordered to make periodical payments for the maintenance of the child by the Child Support Agency (see child support maintenance) or to pay a lump sum by the court. The putative father's name may also be entered on the child's birth certificate. See also illegitimacy.
From: putative father in A Dictionary of Law »