Child custody and child support cases are among the most difficult in family law because the future and well-being of children are involved. Parents want what is best for their children and try to see them as much as possible under the circumstances. However, paternity disputes can complicate child custody cases. For example, one party may be attempting to obtain child support from another party who does not want to pay it. On the other hand, one party may want visitation rights with their child while the other party claims they do not have genetic grounds to do so. Whatever the situation, it is important to determine the paternity so you can reach an equitable decision regarding the well-being of the child involved. There are a few ways to establish paternity in these cases, including:
- Marriage: If a child is born to a married couple and both of the adult’s names are on the birth certificate, there does not need to be any further legal recourse to prove the paternity of the father, unless there is additional reason to believe that one spouse may not be the biological parent. In these cases, additional measures, such as genetic testing, can be used to ensure paternity.
- Genetic testing: Genetic testing is the only way to be completely sure of the paternity of a parent. A third party agency can perform a DNA test to determine the likelihood of the person in question fathering the child. These tests are extremely accurate. If the child does not belong to the person in question, the likelihood will be zero percent. If the child does belong to the person, then the likelihood will be 99.99 percent.
- Affidavit: If the parents of the child are unmarried, they can sign an affidavit or similar legal document determined by their state to legally establish paternity. In order to do this, both parents must sign the document swearing that one spouse is the biological father. After this process is complete, the biological father becomes the legal father.
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If you are in need of legally determining paternity for any reason or case, Arenson Law Group, PC can help. It is important to have an experienced attorney in these cases as they involve the well-being of a child and your relationship to that child. If you are in need of a paternity attorney for your divorce, child custody, or child support case, please contact one of our experienced Cedar Rapids paternity lawyers at (319) 363-8199 today.