Establishing Paternity Can Benefit Everyone
Not establishing paternity early can be detrimental to a child’s physical and emotional development. It can also affect the whole family in many ways. Fathers seeking to establish paternity in the real world have to cope with painful emotions and face legal obstacles, yet this decision can be very beneficial to all the parties involved.
Benefits for Fathers
Some unmarried couples in Florida raise their children without proof of paternity. It is important that dads in this situation understand that if the relationship with the mother ever ends, they will have no legal right to their kids.
Establishing paternity can help you with:
- Child custody and visitation rights
- Requesting school records and picking up your child in emergencies
- Being involved in your child’s health care and consenting to treatment when necessary
- Establishing a legal connection to your child
- Having your name on your child’s birth certificate
Benefits for Mothers
Establishing paternity can also benefit the mother. It is very stressful and frustrating for moms who find themselves in a relationship with a man who doesn’t want to assume responsibility for their children.
Some women decide to raise their children alone without help from the alleged father, and some may avoid contact with the father and move to another state. But the truth is that establishing paternity can be very beneficial for the mother as:
- The father will be responsible to support the child financially
- It eases the burden of single-parent caregiving
- Mothers can claim social security benefits for their children
- Health benefits become available should something happen to the father
Benefits for Children
The ones that benefit most from establishing paternity are the children. Divorced parents are so involved in coping with their own emotions that they don’t have time to think about how withholding paternity can impact their children.
Children need to:
- Cultivate their relationship with both parents
- Identify with their family
- Build an emotional connection with their father and mother
Children without a legal father may struggle in life, missing out on important benefits and relationships.
The Legal Process
The mother’s marital status is very important when determining paternity. If the mother was married at the time of birth, her husband is the presumed legal father, so he is obligated under Florida law to provide child support.
However, a man who believes he is not the biological father can petition the court to disestablish paternity through DNA testing, which can be a complex legal process.
A father seeking to establish paternity can do so voluntarily or through a court order. Notwithstanding the circumstances surrounding your case, family law can be complicated to navigate on your own. Securing the assistance of a knowledgeable family law attorney will help you reach the desired outcome.