Pasadena Paternity Lawyer
Are You the Father? Protect Your Rights!
Determining paternity is important in defending your rights as a father.
If you are a father looking to gain
custody or
visitation of your child, you may need to establish parentage. This is most commonly
an issue for unmarried couples, as the state of California will generally
only automatically recognize a married husband as a father. If you are
unmarried, it is important that you legally establish paternity to ensure
that your rights as a parent upheld.
Conversely, if you are a mother looking to gain child support from the
rightful father of your child, it is to your advantage to legally establish
paternity. Making a point of determining the rightful father to your child
can guarantee that you will receive the proper
child support that you deserve to make sure you and your child have a prosperous future.
Establishing Paternity in California
Establishing paternity can be done by an official Declaration of Paternity
or by a court order defining who the legal parents of the child are. There
are various ways that a paternity test can be administered including:
- Genetic testing may be requested of the potential father
- Simple voluntary signing of a Declaration of Paternity can count as acknowledgement
of paternity
It is important that you, and the court system, knows who the father of
the child is. It is beneficial for the child to have the financial and
emotional support from both parents as well as the right to health insurance
and inheritance. It is recommended that even if a child has one parent
that does not want any involvement in the child's life, that the other
parent establish paternity regardless.
Contact an Attorney for a Paternity Case in Pasadena, CA?
Under California law, if the father was never legally married to the mother
of the child during the conception or birth of the child, the father has
no legal rights and responsibilities to the child in question. In order
to obtain child support or visitation rights, legal parentage must be
established.