Know Your Rights and Obligations
Parental rights and obligations are similar whether you are married or unmarried. When you are named as the father of a child, you need to understand what your role is as the father.
How Paternity Is Determined
When you are married, paternity is presumed when your wife has a baby — however, this presumption can be challenged. When you are unmarried, questions of paternity may come up when the mother petitions you for child support. Commonly, disputes over paternity begin with a paternity test to confirm who the biological father is, but that's only the beginning.
When you are in a dispute over issues of paternity, you need a lawyer who is experienced in handling issues of family law. Whether you are fighting for custody or visitation rights or over issues of child support, a paternity test is only part of the process.
After the Paternity Test
Paternity is not difficult to determine. It's how your case is handled after the paternity test that will define the kind of obligations, child custody rights or father's rights to which you are entitled. Working with an attorney can help you fight for the rights and protections you deserve when you are named as the father of a child.
Contact me at the law office of Carucci Butler, LLC, to discuss your paternity case, and how your life can be affected by being named the father of a child. If you're the father you have both rights and obligations, and if you're not the father, then you need to have a court recognize that so that you and your assets are protected.
