A Brief Look at Establishing Paternity

Why Florida dad’s may seek paternity

Determining a child’s paternity is done for multiple reasons. To collect child support payments, the mother may seek the paternity of her child. The father may want paternity rights to be in the child’s life. A man who is unsure whether he is the father may wish to be tested so that he is not legally bound to the child.

Legal action is possible if paternity talks do not lead to mutual consent among the parents. An appeal to the court to initiate the proceedings may be brought by the party who wants to address the matter of paternity rights. The court will force the reluctant party to comply with fines or other legal proceedings if the presumed father chooses not to take a paternity test.

What if the alleged parent is the father?

If the paternity test requested by a judge shows that the alleged parent is actually the father of the child, the court will proceed to hammer out a child custody and child support arrangement. The child will now have rights, such as potential entitlement to inherit the estate of the parent and as well as healthcare coverage. If the test proves that the parent is not the father, no further intervention is expected from them.

This update is provided by the firm and Miami family law attorneys at Rafool, LLC. We have a strong reputation throughout Florida and we have numerous years of experience representing clients involved in complex divorce cases as well as other family law matters. Should you have any domestic or family issues, we are here to assist you by providing educated advice and skilled, professional advocacy. Call 305-567-9400 to speak with one of our family law attorneys Miami.

This information is provided for educational or informational purposes only and should not be construed as legal advice. The information is not provided in the course of an attorney-client relationship and is not intended to substitute for legal advice.