San Diego Paternity Attorney
California Law: Paternity Suit
In a paternity case, the court will make orders that states who the child’s legal parents are. It’s important to establish parentage so the children are cared for. Establishing parentage can be difficult in certain situations. It’s possible the mother may use the child as influence for financial or emotional reasons. In order to avoid financial, legal or emotional ties to the child, a father may deny his paternity. Resolution of these situations is possible with the help from a skilled family law attorney who has experience in handling parentage cases.
Determining Parentage in California
A father will generally acknowledge his paternity through his actions, behavior and/or the relationship he has developed with the child. Furthermore, in California, if the child’s parents are married when he or she is born, the law presumes the husband is the father and the wife is the mother. If the parents are not married when the child is born, the father can claim parentage from a written, signed, legally binding document.
In some cases, however, paternity is not always easy to establish. For example, when the father’s actions don’t exhibit parentage or if one parent is prohibited from creating a parent-child relationship, it is important to seek legal remedy to establish paternity. DNA testing is a common method of determining parentage. Blood tests or oral swab samples are a few ways to test DNA.
The courts will infiltrate support, custody and visitation orders after parentage is established. Parents could face ruthless legal penalty for failure to meet the financial and legal obligations set in place by the court order.
To establish paternity when a father is not married to the mother, filing a Petition to Establish a Parental Relationship is necessary.
How a Family Law Attorney Can Help You
Parenting is complicated even when parents are on the same page. It can be even more complicated when emotional elements like finger-pointing, blame, infidelity or any other unpleasant emotions are involved in the parent’s relationship.
What’s best for the child can be overlooked without the proper guidance. Working closely with an experienced family law attorney will ensure the protection of your rights as well as your child’s best interest in this situation.
Contact a San Diego Paternity Suit Lawyer
The family law attorneys at The Willmore Law Firm will work hard to protect your rights, your reputation and your family. Call (619) 550-6738 to arrange a free consultation regarding your parentage concern or any other family law issue.