Being named a legal parent brings along a lot of benefits and obligations. Although a paternity test is simple to take and the results are almost always conclusive, issues concerning paternity are anything but simple. Paternity suits can help a father establish a parent-child relationship in matters of child custody and visitation. They can also help a mother obtain financial support for their child.
When you have questions about paternity, a Pembroke Pines paternity lawyer can help you search for solutions. With their practical skills and years of experience, our experienced family attorneys are prepared to guide you through the legal process while protecting your rights.
When a Man Can Participate in a Paternity Suit
Men can be parties to lawsuits in order to establish or deny paternity. They generally fall into one of a few categories.
Biological Fathers
Under Florida law, a father who is not married to the mother at the time of a child’s birth does not have any presumption of paternity. Even men who are in committed, long-term relationships with the mother of their children do not have automatic paternal rights if they are unmarried.
Biological fathers can either voluntarily acknowledge their paternity in writing when their child is born or they can sue for paternity. Establishing paternity gives a father the first step in participating in their child’s life and building a familial relationship. If they establish they are the child’s legal father, they have legal standing to pursue legal custody and visitation rights.
Alleged Biological Fathers
Men who question their parentage have the right to dispute paternity. With the help of experienced legal professionals, men who do not think they are the biological father can fight allegations.
Men Who Learn They Are Not the Biological Father
Sometimes, children are born after adulterous affairs. When a mother who is married at the time of her affair becomes pregnant, the court automatically recognizes her husband as the father of the child. If the husband later learns he is not the biological father, he can work with a lawyer to terminate those parental rights.
A compassionate Pembroke Pines paternity attorney understands how complicated and emotional paternity issues can be and will work tirelessly to reach a fair resolution.
When A Biological Mother Might Become Party to a Paternity Action
Mothers often sue to establish that a man is their child’s biological father so they can seek child support payments. With a court declaration of paternity, a mother can also pursue retroactive child support payments to reimburse them for months or even years of unpaid support.
Even if the biological father has played no role in the child’s life, a Judge can order them to pay child support based solely on the biological relationship. In addition to gaining access to child support payments, a declaration of paternity would also give the child the right to inherit some of their biological father’s estate, particularly if the father dies without a will.
Many Pembroke Pines attorneys also have experience in paternity disputes helping mothers who are opposed to the biological father’s involvement in their child’s life.
Reach Out to a Pembroke Pines Paternity Law Firm Today
Determining paternity can have a significant impact on multiple lives. It can give a biological mother the right to pursue child support payments from the father and it can give the father the right to pursue a relationship with his child.
When you are dealing with issues like these, speak to a diligent Pembroke Pines paternity lawyer from The Florida Probate & Family Law Firm. Through years of experience, we have helped many people establish paternity and helped others avoid unwarranted support obligations for children who are not biologically related to them. We also offer free case evaluations to help you understand your rights and your options, so call our office today to learn more.