Parentage and Paternity

When children are born to parents not married at the time the child was born, the law provides for several remedies to those parents:

• Establishment of the legal parents of the child or children;

• Allocation of parenting time and decision-making;

• Setting child support;

• Contribution to other financial areas such as extracurricular activities, health insurance, uncovered medical expenses, school, summer camp, college and other child related expenses; and

• Name changes.

The first step is to establish paternity, which can be done several ways.  Most common, a father executes a Voluntary Acknowledgment of Paternity, typically at the hospital.  This form carries legal implications, so it is best to consult with a lawyer before signing this form. A second way to establish paternity can be through a DNA test.  A father or mother can file in court to establish parentage, and once this is done, generally the same laws applying to married couples apply to a parentage case. There may be other circumstances where parentage must be changed.

The Law Office of Erin M. Wilson LLC can advise you as to the establishment of parentage and the rights that go along with this, such as support, parenting time and decision-making.

Please contact The Law Office of Erin M. Wilson LLC for a consultation regarding parentage and paternity cases.