Knill v. Knill

The majority holds that the doctrine of equitable estoppel may not be applied to estop a husband from denying a duty to support an illegitimate child born to his wife by another man during the marriage unless the husband’s voluntary conduct in treating the child as his own gives rise to reliance by the child upon such conduct and results in the child’s suffering financial or economic loss as distinguished from emotional or other detriment. Because Stephen’s mother may still initiate a paternity action for child support against the putative father, notwithstanding the expiration of sixteen…