Paternity

Paternity

For compassionate and effective assistance with paternity issues, trust the Law Office of Michael L. Fell.

Parents have many important rights and responsibilities with regards to their children. However, paternity must be legally established in order for these rights and responsibilities to apply. For married couples, this is a non-issue since fathers automatically receive paternity rights to children born during the marriage. But when couples are not married, extra legal steps must be taken to establish paternity. This is beneficial to the parents, since it allows for custody and visitation rights, and to the child, since it allows for child support, insurance coverage, and other benefits.

Whether you want to establish paternity for a child or you are being asked to acknowledge a child that is not yours, you do not want to go through this process alone. A skilled paternity attorney’s help will be invaluable in ensuring your paternity issue gets resolved quickly and fairly.

Making a Voluntary Declaration of Paternity

The simplest way for an unmarried father to establish paternity for a child is to be present at the birth and sign a voluntary declaration of paternity at that time. However, this document can also be signed later on, with the assistance of your paternity attorney.

By signing the voluntary declaration of paternity, both parents waive their right to contest paternity in the future.

Paternity Litigation

If either parent is unwilling to acknowledge paternity, the issue will have to go to court. It is in your best interests to have a paternity attorney on your side to guide you through all the steps involved, including filing the initial paperwork (or responding to paperwork that has been filed against you), gathering evidence (including DNA testing when applicable), and appearing at any hearings that may be required for your case.

Need Help with Custody or Support Agreements?

Once paternity has been established, you will need to secure some important agreements to guarantee your rights to your child and outline your responsibilities. As your paternity attorney, we can help you with both child custody and child support agreements. You can rely on us to work hard to make sure your agreements are fair and reflect the best interests of your child.

Call Now to Learn More

If you have questions about a paternity case, the Law Office of Michael L. Fell is here for you. Simply call us at (949) 585-9055 and we will set up a free initial consultation with our family law attorney, Michelle L. Tran. Attorney Tran is highly experienced in parental rights cases and she can provide the top-quality advice and representation you need.