Dan Lauck's 11 News report

For years, Morgan Wise thought he was a father of four, but long after his divorce, he discovered - quite by accident - that he is actually the father of two.      

11 News

Morgan Wise found out long after his divorce that he was not the biological father of two of his four children.

“It was the worst day of my life,” said Wise, a railroad engineer from West Texas, of finding out that two of his daughters were not biologically his.

However, in the eyes of Texas, there is a presumption of paternity and with that a demand for child support.

"There is a presumption in the law of Texas, which is now statutory, that a child born during the marriage is a child of the marriage,” said attorney Rick Flowers.

Cases like that of Wise said Flowers are rare.

Still, state representative Harold Dutton has introduced legislation that would protect a father like Wise, who pays child support for years before finding out he is not the biological father.

“Based just on the number of people who came to our hearings, it's a huge problem,” said Dutton. “Initially, you're just incensed when you hear about some of these things."

Flowers can be incensed too, but noted, “There's a time to make that challenge and that time is before that divorce being granted.

Dutton insisted that would be nice, but life does not work that way. All one has to do is ask Morgan Wise.