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257.64 PRETRIAL ORDERS AND RECOMMENDATIONS.
    Subdivision 1. Permissible orders and recommendations. On the basis of the information
produced at the pretrial hearing, including information as to the financial status of the parties,
the court may:
(a) recommend that the alleged father voluntarily acknowledge his paternity of the child if
the parties have agreed on a financial settlement; or
(b) recommend that the matter be compromised by an agreement among the alleged father,
the mother, and the child, in which the father and child relationship is not determined but in
which a defined economic obligation is undertaken by the alleged father in favor of the child
and, if appropriate, in favor of the mother, subject to approval by the court. In reviewing the
obligation undertaken by the alleged father in a compromise agreement, the court shall consider
the best interest of the child, in the light of the applicable factors enumerated in section 518.17,
subdivision 3
, discounted by the improbability, as it appears to the court, of establishing the
alleged father's paternity or nonpaternity of the child in a trial of the action. In the best interest of
the child, the court may order that the alleged father's identity be kept confidential. In that case,
the court may designate a person or agency to receive from the alleged father and disburse on
behalf of the child all amounts paid by the alleged father in fulfillment of obligations imposed
on him. The child, on reaching 21 years of age or older, may petition the court to disclose the
alleged father's identity. The court shall grant the petition if after considering the interests of all
known persons involved, the court determines that disclosure of the information would be of
greater benefit than nondisclosure.
    Subd. 2. Agreement with recommendations. If the parties accept a recommendation
made in accordance with subdivision 1, judgment shall be entered accordingly. The court shall
advise all parties that pretrial recommendations are not binding and will have no effect if the
recommendation is disregarded and the matter is set for trial.
    Subd. 3. Refusal to agree with recommendations. If a party refuses to accept a
recommendation made under subdivision 1 and blood or genetic tests have not been taken, the
court shall require the parties to submit to blood or genetic tests. If a party refuses to accept the
final recommendation the action shall be set for trial.
    Subd. 4. Guardian ad litem. The guardian ad litem may accept or refuse to accept a
recommendation under this section.
    Subd. 5. Setting action for trial. The informal hearing may be terminated and the action
set for trial if the court finds it unlikely that all parties would accept a recommendation made
under subdivisions 1 or 3.
History: 1980 c 589 s 14; 1Sp1981 c 4 art 2 s 26; 1983 c 308 s 10; 1986 c 444; 1995 c
207 art 10 s 12; 1998 c 382 art 1 s 2

Official Publication of the State of Minnesota
Revisor of Statutes