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Establishing Parentage

Parentage (also called paternity) is the legal process of identifying a parent’s relationship to a child. If legal parentage has not been established, we can help make your parent-child relationship legally recognized.

Why is Establishing Parentage Important?

• Parent-Child Relationships
• Financial support
• Access to family medical history
• Inheritance rights
• Medical and life insurance benefits
• Social Security benefits

How is Parentage/Paternity Established?

• If a mother is married or was widowed when the child is born, her husband is legally assumed to be the father.

• If the mother is unmarried at the time the child is conceived or born, paternity may be established by:
  • Both parents signing a Voluntary Acknowledgment of Paternity; or
  • A court determining a man to be the legal father after a hearing or through a default judgment.

When is Paternity/Genetic testing necessary?

• Genetic testing may be used to establish paternity when a child’s biological father is uncertain. A man is legally recognized as the father if testing shows a 99% or greater chance of paternity. The court determines who pays for testing, though costs are typically assigned to the alleged father.

• Genetic Testing is available through our office or at a certified laboratory.