Clinical judgment and sometimes ethical judgment enter into these decisions where there are often no right or wrong answers and where there are no textbooks or RCTs that tell us what to do.
predecessor - something that precedes and indicates the approach of something or someone. harbinger, herald, forerunner, precursor. indicant, indication - something that serves to indicate or suggest; an indication of foul play; indications of strain; symptoms are the prime indicants of disease.
A putative father is a man whose biological relationship to a child is alleged but has not been established. A stepfather is a male who is the husband of a child's mother and they may form a family unit, but who generally does not have the legal rights and responsibilities of a parent in relation to the child. The adjective paternal refers to a father and comparatively to maternal for a mother.