§1846.__Acknowledgment of establishment of parentage of

nonmarital presumed parent

1.__Record of establishment of parentage.__After the child's 2nd birthday but before the child's death, a person who has complied with the elements of section 1844, subsection 1, paragraph E, may acknowledge the establishment of parentage in accordance with this section.

2.__Effect of acknowledgment.__Except as otherwise provided in subsection 3, a valid acknowledgment under this section filed with the State Registrar of Vital Statistics is equivalent to an adjudication of parentage of a child and confers upon the acknowledged parent all of the rights and duties of a parent. The Registrar of Vital Statistics shall enter the name of the acknowledged parent on the child's birth certificate.

3.__Effect of failure to record establishment of parentage.__ The failure of a person to acknowledge the establishment of parentage in accordance with this section does not affect the parent-child relationship established pursuant to section 1844, subsection 1, paragraph E.__A person who does not acknowledge the establishment of parentage or obtain an adjudication of parentage before the commencement of an action pursuant to the following statutes is not a parent for purposes of those proceedings, and is not entitled to notice of any of those proceedings except as otherwise provided for those proceedings:

A.__Title 18-A, article 5;

B.__Title 18-A, article 9;

C.__Title 19-A, chapter 53, subchapter 2; or

D.__Title 22, chapter 1071.

The person who has failed to acknowledge the establishment of parentage may, however, seek to intervene in those proceedings as otherwise provided by law, and if the court finds that the intervention does not unduly delay or prejudice the adjudication of rights of the existing parties.__Whether or not the person who has failed to acknowledge the establishment of parentage