Paternity refers to the legal determination of who is the father of the
child. Fatherhood is very rewarding and joyful, but it also carries many
responsibilities. A father is responsible for being emotionally involved
with the child; to help make decisions about the child’s life, education
and health; and to financially support the child.
When a child is born in a marriage, it is presumed that the husband is
the legal father. It is also presumed that an ex-husband is the father
of a child for a certain period of time after a
divorce is final. But these presumptions are arguable and evidence can be shown
to disprove paternity. In some case, it is unclear who the father is.
A man who does not believe he is the child’s father may want to deny
paternity. On the other hand, the mother of a child may want to establish
a person’s paternity as to require that the person is accountable
for the responsibilities of fatherhood. There are times when a mother
refuses to allow a man to participate in the child’s life and denies
him the joy and responsibilities of fatherhood. In such cases, the father
may want to assert his rights by establishing paternity.
Furthermore, when unmarried persons have children, the rights of the father
may need to be resolved through a paternity action. It is not uncommon
for unmarried persons to have children in today’s society. When
a child is conceived out of wedlock, even though there may no longer be
a social stigma associated with such an event, there can be problems involving
the parents. They may not always agree on how the child should be raised.
They may also argue over custody, visitation, and child support payments.
At Longwell Lawyers, we have experienced Orlando
family lawyers who can help you with paternity matters and assisting with
child support,
custody and visitation rights. If you are in need of representation in a paternity
action, please call our office to set up a consultation: (888) 490-5333.