Many times I’ll speak with a parent wondering what rights they do/don’t have without a Court order. As discussed in the first part of this blog series, there are several scenarios in which paternity would be presumed. However, until paternity is established by the Court, the Father is not, by definition, a “legal parent.” Further,
from Paternity’s Effect on Legal Decision-Making And Parenting Time
In last week’s blog- Establishment of Paternity- I discussed scenarios in which DNA testing might be needed in order to dispute or confirm someone’s assertion of paternity. But you might be wondering how to go about having DNA testing done. A quick search of the internet will show you many at-home kits you can order.
If you want to establish any type of Court orders for legal decision-making authority, parenting time, or child support, you will first need to establish the paternity of the Father in the action. There are a few circumstances you can assert in your Petition to Establish in which a Court will presume paternity, such as:
A common reason for a Mother to want to establish the paternity of an uninvolved Father is so that she can receive needed child support. A Court cannot order someone to pay child support unless paternity has been established. Sometimes, however, even the idea of receiving needed financial assistance is not enough for some Mothers
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