Fathers and sons: problems of acquiring parental rights by men (a case study of the Russian legislation)

Introduction: in the article, the importance and specific features of acquiring parental rights by men are analyzed. The study of these issues does not only form scientific fundamentals to improve family law legislation but also shows potentialities of the "dialogue of generations " through the fixation of family values in a legal norm. Purpose: to develop well-grounded scientific recommendations and proposals essential for the improvement offamily law in Russia and foreign countries. Methods: methodological framework of the research is based on a set of general scientific methods (analysis and synthesis, abstraction and concretization) and specific scientific methods (juridical dogmatic method, method of the legal norm interpretation). Results: the existing legal regulations on proving a child's descent from his/her farther imply many problems of scientific and applied nature. This results in infringing children's interests and fathers' parental rights. Cases offictitious paternity establishment, for receiving a temporary residence permit in Russia, are getting widespread. New aspects of disputing paternity are revealed. The development of modern technologies in the reproductive sphere creates legal vacuum in the issues of establishing a child's descent from a father. Conclusions: the legislative importance of a state registration ofpaternity should be reconsidered. A child's birth should be accepted as a fact leading to the start of parental legal relations. Norms covering the issues of establishing the paternity of a person who is not married to a child's mother should be changed. The liability of a biological father should be strengthened and his interests should be protected. The possibility of voluntary recognition of paternity by people who evade the procedure of adoption should be excluded. It is necessary to amend the legal field with a procedure of declaring an act of fictitious paternity establishment to be invalid, with the compensation for moral damage to a child. The changes proposed are aimed at strengthening the social role of the father and overcoming the family crisis.