Experienced paternity lawyer
Determining Paternity
Fathers who are not married to the mother of their child may find that they need to go through the parentage process in the state of California in order to ensure that their legal rights are protected with respect to their child. Mothers that have children with fathers outside of wedlock may have to also go through this process in order to require the father to uphold their legal and financial obligations to a child. Establishing parentage is also available for same-sex partners if the partners were not married when a child was born. In some cases, California may even recognize three parents of a child. Learn more about parentage, and how the legal process of establishing who a child’s parent actually is will be determined in the state of California.
Establishing Parentage
Establishing parentage means that there is a legal order that determines the paternity of a child. Without establishing paternity legally (parentage), the mother will have no legal right to require the father to financially support his child. If a father refuses to admit that he is the parent of a child, or does not believe he is the parent of a child, a family court has the legal right to make the alleged father submit to genetic testing in order to prove parentage.
Results of Establishing Parentage
If a person is established legally as a parent of a child, they will have all of the rights and responsibilities of that parent including the following:
- The responsibility to pay child support according to the state of California’s child support calculation amounts, as well as pay for financial items such as health care or child care costs.
- The right to spend time with the child through either child custody or child visitation.
If a parent fails to fulfill their legal obligations to support a child following the establishment of parentage as ordered by a court, they can receive harsh penalties and even wage garnishment.
Reasons Establishing Parentage Is Critical
Establishing parentage is critical for numerous reasons, not just for the financial support of a child. Some of the other reasons establishing parentage are critical include the following:
- Legal documentation for the child, including both names on a birth certificate
- Legal access for the child to obtain all family medical history and records of both parents
- Health and life insurance coverage
- Legal right to receive property or assets through an inheritance from both parents
- Legal right to receive either veteran’s benefits or social security benefits if applicable.
Contact an Experienced Family Law Attorney
If you find yourself in a situation where you feel you need to either attempt to legally require the other parent to take financial responsibility for your child, or if you are in the situation where you want to have legal rights and access to your child that someone is keeping from you, you will likely need to go through the parentage process. Contact an experienced family law attorney today at the Law Offices of Lisa R. McCall, A Professional Corporation, at 714.644.8760 or online today to schedule a consultation and to help you with your next steps.
