“Her Children Are Not Yours”- Nigeria Lawyer Advises Men Before Marrying Single Mothers

• Nigerian lawyer Atanda warns men about the legal risks of marrying single mothers.
• Men do not automatically acquire legal rights over a single mother’s children from previous relationships.
• This is particularly true if the biological father of the children is still alive.

A Nigerian lawyer named Atanda has cautioned men about the legal implications of marrying single mothers in Nigeria.

In a Facebook post, Atanda highlighted that men who marry single mothers do not automatically gain legal rights over the mother’s children from a previous relationship, especially if the children’s biological father is still alive.

“Her children are not your children and they will never be your children while their father is alive,” he stated.

He explained that a man cannot legally adopt children whose father is alive, and taking on full responsibility could create legal obligations:

“If you assume the role of their guardian and handle their needs, the law may hold you responsible for their upkeep, even if you later separate from their mother.”

Atanda stressed that the biological father continues to have rights regarding his children, regardless of the mother’s remarriage.

“The father retains visitation rights. You cannot prevent him from seeing his children, although you can restrict access to your property. You may travel with the mother, but the children cannot leave without the father’s approval,” he said.

The lawyer also warned that registering the children as your own without proper legal steps could be treated as child trafficking under Nigerian law.

He advised men to confirm that the mother is legally divorced before entering into marriage, noting that assumptions based on customary marriage or bride price are risky.

“Always request proof of her divorce decree. Ignorance of the law won’t protect you you could face serious consequences, including accusations of bigamy,” Atanda added.

He concluded by emphasizing that legal parenthood is determined by biology, not traditional ceremonies or financial transactions.

“Nothing like, ‘the woman’s ex did not pay her bride price, so the children now belong to me.’ Na biological factor determines who is the papa, not marriage factor or bride price factor.”