“Paternity” and “Parentage” are terms referring to the issue of establishing legally that a

person who was not married to the mother of a child at the child’s birth is the legal father of that child. A husband is presumed to be the father if a child is born during a marriage or within 300 days of the termination of a marriage by death, annulment, divorce, or legal separation.

We advise unmarried parents on issues relating to:

• Filing petitions to establish paternity
• Determining child support, custody and visitation

In cases where an unmarried father may agree to paternity, the parties may sign a form acknowledging the parentage. A parent may also attempt to establish paternity through the courts by filing the appropriate petition. The court will then have the father submit to genetic or DNA testing. Once paternity is established, custody, visitation, and child support must be determined.

The parties may agree to settle these issues outside of court or have the court decide.

We are focused on protecting the interest of our clients and the children involved and we will walk you through each step and help you understand your rights and responsibilities.