Sometimes i think men are just plain stupid and think they can avoid this stuff. My almost ex husband had a child when he was 22 and didn't know til 6 years later..... Well there was always crap with court the mom was always trying to get money and take him back to court and he lost his job once and wouldn't go file to get his support reduced etc.... Easy stuff if he'd just do it. But instead anytime something would happen with it he would get drunk and mad.
I totally get that it is emotionally draining and financially it sucks big time. My ex had another kid with another girl.... So we we're usually broke because he had to pay for ins then child support for two kids so pretty much half his check was gone. And court never cared that we had our own child to take of.
It's not easy stuff to deal with. He might be saying this stuff because he is just worried about going. But tell him it's gonna happen with or without him and if he doesn't look into legal help now he will only get more screwed later.
Goo Luck