Paternity

Paternity issues can arise in various ways. A parent may wish to prove that he is the father of a child, or a mother may want to establish a father’s paternal relationship in order to receive necessary and owed child support. Paternity can be established in several ways and this conclusiveness may be overturned as discussed below. One way for Paternity to be established is if the unmarried mother and father voluntarily declare Paternity of the father. This is done by an executed declaration.

However, if an individual believes he is not the father of a child, the justice system has several ways that a father can bring the issue before the court to determine the paternity of the child. One example may be blood or genetic tests (usually within 3 years of the date of any declaration of fatherhood). Other factors may overturn the presumption of Paternity, but clear and convincing evidence needs to be established.