I have to agree with lazide here. One poignant example is a man who accepts the fatherly role of a child can become legally liable for that child's wellbeing, support payments etc., whether or not the child is actually his biologically.

Therefore it is not _the action_ of having a child that exposes the man to legal liability, it is verbally accepting and or acting as if the child is his (cases and situations vary greatly).

This is part of why saying "Sorry" is so heavily avoided in certain subcultures, because it accepts culpability.