{"data":{"id":"us-me/19-a-m.r.s.-1609","jurisdiction":"us-me","citation":"19-A M.R.S. §1609","heading":"Failure of alleged father to deny paternity","body":"1.  Filing of record of proceeding in court.  If the alleged father fails to file a written denial of paternity with the department within 20 days after service of notice upon him, the department's attorney may file the record of the proceeding in a court as a paternity action.   The filing of the record, along with proof of service pursuant to section 1604, constitutes a filing under the Maine Rules of Civil Procedure, Rule 3(1) and further service is not required.\n2.  Failure to file written denial constitutes default.  The alleged father's failure to file a written denial with the department constitutes a default under the Maine Rules of Civil Procedure, Rule 55(a).  The department shall forward to the alleged father by ordinary mail a copy of any request for a default judgment.  The mailing of the request to the alleged father's last known address constitutes adequate notice of the default proceeding and further notice is not required.","path":["TITLE 19-A: DOMESTIC RELATIONS","PART 3: PARENTS AND CHILDREN","CHAPTER 53: PATERNITY","SUBCHAPTER 2: EXPEDITED PROCESS FOR THE COMMENCEMENT OF PATERNITY ACTIONS"],"source_url":"https://legislature.maine.gov/statutes/19-A/title19-Asec1609.html","current_through":"October 1, 2025","vintage":"","retrieved_at":"2026-09-04T15:12:29Z","sha256":"6a9b78b50af6d602634c2fb37dbb59b253b6a92eaaf02c76673e447463e30110","source_id":"us-me","stale":false,"prev":"us-me/19-a-m.r.s.-1608","next":"us-me/19-a-m.r.s.-1610"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}