Paternity
Divorce & Family Law
Fighting For Both The Rights And Responsibilities Of Fathers | Establishing Paternity In Dallas
When it comes to the situation of children in family law, one of the first things that needs to be established is who is the father. All children who are born to a married couple are legally assumed to be the husbands unless he takes action to deny this. In many cases the father of children born outside of wedlock will sign the birth certificate in the hospital, which will also establish paternity for all normal situations that might come up. If the father doesn’t sign the birth certificate, however, the courts may need to get involved.
Why Establish Paternity
Establishing paternity is important for both the father and the mother for a variety of reasons. Mothers typically want to establish paternity so that they can seek child support from the father, in addition to helping to ensure that their children have a relationship with their dad. Fathers can also push to have paternity determined in order to be able to demand parting time and other privileges that come with being a parent.
Of course, some men will seek to establish paternity of a child because they don’t believe that the child is theirs. In all but some very rare situations, a many cannot be legally required to support a child that is not biologically his (with obvious exceptions for adoption situations).
Fighting For The Rights Of Children
While establishing paternity is extremely important for both the mother and father, it really comes down to being a right of the children involved. Kids should be permitted and even encouraged to have a strong relationship with both parents, and that is sometimes only possible by taking steps to identify who the father is. These kids also have a right to be taken care of by both parents, which includes the right to child support from the father in many situations.
Establishing paternity can range from a simple signing of documents to a court ordered DNA test. Once the courts issue a paternity order establishing the legal father of a child, that man will enjoy all the legal rights and responsibilities of being a parent.