São Paulo court orders woman to pay damages for false paternity claim

The São Paulo Court of Justice (TJ‑SP) upheld a lower‑court ruling that a woman must compensate her former partner for falsely attributing paternity. The court set compensation at R$10,000 for material losses – the financial support the plaintiff had provided – and R$20,000 for moral damages.

The panel, led by Judge Pastorelo Kfouri, emphasized that omitting a plausible third‑party paternity breaches duties of good faith, loyalty and transparency in family relations. The court found the biological father not liable, noting no evidence he participated in the omission.

Separately, the Superior Tribunal de Justiça (STJ) ruled that a paternal surname can be removed from a civil registry when the child has suffered affective abandonment, reinforcing that personal identity must reflect the individual's real affective bonds and dignity.