Featured News 2013 Establishing Paternity as a Father

Establishing Paternity as a Father

Father's Day is fast-approaching, and as a dad you want what is best for your children. Unfortunately, fathers are often caught in difficult situations if they are not married to the mother of their children. A father technically has to adopt his child before he can have the legal rights to that young one. A child that is born to a married couple is automatically considered legitimate in the eyes of the law.

Yet there is no requirement that a father signs a birth certificate, so mothers can often list whoever they want as the father of their child, or no one at all if they prefer. A mother has automatic rights to her child unless she chooses to give the child up for adoption, but a father is often at a loss as to how to care for his young ones if he is not listed on the birth certificate.

That is why it is extremely important that fathers take a paternity test and confirm that they are the biological father of a child if they want to maintain a relationship with that young one. For a father who resists parentage, paternity test will keep him accountable to provide is share of financial support and responsibility to the raising of the child.

For a father who wants to establish that he is the biological parent of the young one, he can use paternity as a means to prove that he has a right to establish that relationship. If a father can prove that he is the biological parent of a child, then he will need to give approval before that child can be adopted out into another family. In some cases, the father can adopt the child rather than allow the child to be adopted out to another family that may have been chosen by the mother.

Children can also benefit from their father's paternity test, as it will confirm for them that the man in their life truly is their biological father. This can be an emotional and psychological relief for young children who may be from broken homes. If you can establish that you are the biological parent of children, then this will give them the right to inherit your fortune when you pass away, and the right to access your personal information. Children will also be able to better understand the health risks and profiles of their paternal family side, and they will have the right to sue for the harm or death of their father. Children can also receive worker's compensation benefits or government-based benefits in the event of the father's death as long as paternity was established.

Fathers who have established paternity can petition for visitation in a family court, and may be allowed to have time with their children even if they are not the primary custodian. Fathers can also seek to adopt the children in a situation where the mother is giving up her rights to the child or was planning on adopting the child out to another family. To adopt the child, a father may need to demonstrate his commitment to caring for the child for the court before he will be considered a proper parent.

In some cases, fathers do not know about their children until months or even years after the child's birth. In some states, fathers will need to acknowledge paternity of a child while the mother is still pregnant or when the child is born. If the father does not learn about the child, then he may be at a loss as far as securing visitation. If you need to establish paternity or work through a father's rights situation in time for Father's Day this next week, then hire a local lawyer right away to get started!

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