Paternity

A paternity suit is filed when the parents are not married and the party filing is wanting to be determined by the Court as the child’s parent or have the other parent determined to be the father.  The lawsuit can be filed by the mother or the alleged father.   The procedure is very similar to any other child custody case.  In a paternity suit, all legal aspects for a child are set out, such as conservatorship, possession and access, child support, and health insurance.

There are statute of limitations for a person to file for paternity suit if the child has a presumed father (married to another man) or an acknowledged father (signed an acknowledgement of paternity).  If you know that you are the biological father but the child has the above, you need to call for a consultation immediately.