Whether you are married to the other parent of your child or not, you have absolute rights as a parent in the eyes of the law. You also have absolute responsibilities. When a child is born outside of marriage, though, you may have to first prove you, or another party, are the parent of the child in order to execute those rights, or get the child’s other parent to take their share of the responsibility.
Proving Parentage
There are different ways to go about determining parentage. Legal paperwork, such as a birth certificate, is typically taken as legal proof, unless one party or the other contests its validity. In some instance, the courts can also order individuals to submit to DNA testing in order to prove blood relation.
Proving Parentage in Order to Create a Parenting Plan
The reasons for proving legal parentage of a child are numerous. With proof of parentage, you can seek child support from the child’s other parent. You may also seek custody of the child or visitation rights if the custodial parent is trying to prevent you from taking part in your child’s life.
After parentage is proven to the court, you will be able to create a parenting plan with your child’s other parent to ensure that both have access to time with your child, whether that is through custody or visitation, and that the financial needs of your child are being met by both parents, and not being shouldered solely by the parent with physical custody of the child.
Seattle Parentage Attorney
Whatever the reason you need to prove your, or your former partner’s, parentage of your child, Collier Law Office PLLC can help you through the legal process. Attorney Sherry Collier has experience in representing those who need to prove their parentage in the eyes of the court, as well as those who need to compel an ex-partner to submit to physical testing to prove their parentage through the courts.
If you are interested in the legal means of proving the parentage of your child, contact Attorney Collier today for a consultation. After discussing the legal options available to you, you will be able to better decide if seeking to prove the parentage of your child through the courts is a path you would like to pursue.