Paternity

Family Law Services

Paternity

Paternity is the legal identification of a child’s legal father which can be established by:

Presumption; where the law assumes the husband of the child’s mother is the father by default; or

Voluntary Acknowledgement; where a legal form called an Acknowledgement of Paternity with the Vital Statistics Unit is signed by both the child’s genetic (or presumed) father and mother to swear he is the genetic father; or

Court Order filed by a parent of an authorized person, such as a lawyer.

Why is Paternity Important?

Paternity confirms if the parent is or isn’t the child’s biological father. Which the court can use to make the appropriate decisions on legal issues that can be sensitive, such as the child’s eligibility for child support and additional benefits and the father’s legal rights should he and the child’s mother ever separate.

Another virtue of knowing the paternity of the child is an accurate medical history of the genetic parents, which physicians can use to discern if the child has any hereditary health problems.

How to Get a Court-ordered Paternity Test

You or an attorney working on your behalf can ask the court for an order to establish the child’s paternity by filing a proceeding to adjudicate parentage.

If you’re unsure whether you’re the father of a child, a divorced mother who needs child support not receiving it, or even the child yourself, please contact a paternity lawyer at The Bruman Law Group. Our firm’s attorneys will be more than happy to assist you.

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