Establishing paternity isn’t a forthright case of completing the paternity acknowledgement form and ensuring your name is not omitted on the child’s birth certificate. Signing the form may only acknowledge you as the dad and only serve as an authorization for the state to deduct child support from your salary. Unfortunately, it does not mean you are sharing the child’s custody.

This case serves to show how paternity issues can be so complex and emotionally overwhelming that the need for expert help is almost inevitable. In this article, we examine why a paternity lawyer would come in handy if you find yourself in a paternity tussle.

Who is The Child’s Father According to Law?

Paternity laws are quite complex, given that the legally recognized father may not be the child’s biological father. Here’s a look into how law categorizes fathers:

• Presumed Father – This is a married man who at the time of child’s conception or birth, was married to the child’s mother; or legally accepted to be the father to his wife’s baby; or behaved as if the baby was his own.
• Acknowledged Father – This is unmarried man who has self-confessed to being the child’s father.
• Unwed Father – This is an unmarried man who begets a child with a woman.
• Step Father – This is a man who marries a woman who already had a child with another man

Each of these fathers has their obligation’s according to law, meaning that you need a paternity lawyer to advise you accordingly depending on where you fall in these four categories.

A Paternity Attorney Will Help You Secure Visitation Rights

With the help of a paternity attorney, you’ll not only be able to establish paternity, but you’ll also have visitation rights. Your child will also benefit significantly from the development. He will have entry to your health records and benefits. Most importantly, he will also benefit from the fact that he has eventually known the biological father.

You Also Need a Paternity Attorney If You’re Challenging Paternity

Sometimes, you may go to court to challenge paternity. In such a situation, there are a whole lot of things that will be required from you, which include affidavits, forms, and lawful advice. Therefore, the best thing you’ll have to do is getting a paternity attorney. You can as well find an attorney who would deliver the results as a separation attorney, particularly if the paternity case was influenced by a split up, annulment, or separation.  Nevertheless, it is imperative that you hire an experienced attorney to help you challenge the paternity in court.

The birth of a child comes with it joy, love, as well as hope for the future. To the unmarried partners, it brings about the added responsibility of determining the paternity of their child. All in all, establishing paternity is among the important steps that parents need to take, especially the unmarried, as it creates a legal relationship between the father and the child.

Paternity attorneys normally have the ability to handle various issues that can have a bearing on the mother, the father, and their child, such as custody, visitation, and child support. Besides, it is important to present evidence in court to help establish or challenge paternity. Therefore, you need to hire an experienced paternity attorney to help represent you in court.