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Paternity: What You Should Know

Importance of Establishing Parantage

In parentage cases, the court makes orders that say who the child’s legal parents are.  Establishing parentage is important to ensure that children are cared for.  However, certain situations make establishing parentage difficult.  The mother of a child may use the child as leverage for emotional or financial reasons.  A father may deny his paternity to avoid financial, legal, or emotional ties to the child. Each of these situations can be resolved with the aid of a skilled Los Angeles family law attorney with experience handling parentage cases.

How Parentage is Determined in California

Generally, a father will acknowledge his paternity through his actions, behaviors and the relationship he develops with the child. Moreover, in California, if parents are married when a child is born, the law assumes that the husband is the father and the wife is the mother.  Other times, for example, if the parents were not married when the child was born, a father may claim parentage via a signed, written, legally binding document.

Sometimes, however, establishing paternity is not always so cut and dry. For example, instances where the father’s actions do not demonstrate parentage, or where one parent is prevented from creating a parent-child relationship, require seeking legal recourse to establish paternity.  A common method of discerning parentage is through DNA testing. There are several ways a DNA test can be performed, such as through blood tests or oral swab samples.

After parentage is established, the courts will enter support, custody and visitation orders. Parents may face harsh legal consequences for failure to meet the financial and legal obligations put in place by the court order.

How A Family Law Attorney Can Help You

Parenting is a difficult task when both parents are on the same page— it can feel unbearable when emotionally driven elements such as finger-pointing, blame, infidelity, or other unpleasant emotions enter the parenting relationship.  Without the right guidance, what is best for the child can get lost in the mix.

Working with an experienced family law attorney will ensure that your rights are protected and that the best situation for your child is reached.

Contact A Los Angeles Paternity Suit Lawyer

Let the family law attorneys at The Law Office of Atousa Saei protect your rights, your reputation, and your family. Contact them to arrange a free initial consultation today regarding your parentage matter, or any other family law issue, by dialing (310) 855-3386.