Hackensack Paternity Lawyer
Establishing paternity can be essential to protecting a child’s rights and ensuring they have a legal bond with their father. Legal action over paternity may occur when a father seeks to assert his parental rights, or a mother wants her child’s father to legally recognize his paternal duties. If you are facing a situation that requires a paternity action, you should not move forward alone.
A Hackensack paternity lawyer can evaluate the details of your situation to determine the most effective course of legal action for your case. The experienced family law attorneys at Moskowitz Law Group are ready to provide the legal assistance and support you require through every phase of your paternity case.
Situations that Warrant Establishing Paternity
Families may need to legally establish a child’s paternal father for a variety of reasons. One of the most common situations is when two partners have a child together but remain unmarried. A child may also be born to parents who are not in a long-term relationship, requiring either the mother or the alleged father to file a paternity action to establish their rights and responsibilities regarding the child.
In any case, when a child is born to parents who are not married, specific legal steps must be taken to formally establish paternity. An experienced paternity lawyer can advise and assist with all matters related to establishing paternity in Hackensack.
What Rights Does Paternity Grant?
Proving a child’s paternity establishes a set of rights and responsibilities for their biological father that would not otherwise be presumed. For example, legal paternity likely grants the father the right to see their child through a physical custody and parenting time arrangement in the event of a separation or where the parents did not have a long-term relationship. Additionally, paternity obligates a father to pay child support if the child resides with the mother or entitles them to receive child support payments from the mother if the child lives with them.
In addition, establishing paternity also provides the father the ability to seek or share legal custody of the child. Legal custody involves the right to make major decisions about the child’s welfare, such as where they go to school or receive medical care. Establishing paternity could also make the child eligible for benefits such as insurance and inheritance from their biological father’s estate. A Hackensack paternity attorney can explain the full scope of rights and responsibilities that may arise from a successful paternity action.
Ways to Establish Paternity in Hackensack
There are a few ways to establish paternity when it is not automatically assigned upon the child’s birth. When both parties agree to the child’s paternity, this can be a relatively simple matter involving the father signing a certificate acknowledging paternity. This certificate can be signed at the medical institution at which the child is born or a local government office.
However, some challenges may arise during this process. The mother or alleged father may contest the parentage of the child, or the alleged father may not be easily locatable or present for the birth. In these cases, it may be necessary for either party to launch an official paternity action through the court system. A local paternity attorney can provide invaluable legal assistance throughout this process, from filing the necessary paperwork to requesting a court order for DNA testing.
Contact a Hackensack Paternity Attorney Today
Establishing paternity may seem like a relatively simple matter. However, in the eyes of the law, these situations can quickly become complicated. In your child’s interests, you likely want this process to be as smooth as possible. A Hackensack paternity lawyer can assist with the full breadth of challenges and requirements arising from a paternity action.
Our team at Moskowitz Law Group can also help you assert the rights and obligations afforded to a paternal father, such as custodial privileges and support. Call now and arrange a free case evaluation to discuss your prospective paternity case.
