Fairfield Paternity Lawyer

Establishing paternity is a highly beneficial legal process that can positively impact all members of the family. The mother can receive assistance with financially supporting the child, the father can gain access to custody and visitation rights, and the child can benefit from the support of both parents. Paternity disputes can arise, however, leading to legal headaches. If you are facing paternity issues, a Fairfield paternity lawyer from Reich & Truax, PLLC, can address the situation.

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Services a Fairfield Paternity Lawyer from Reich & Truax, PLLC Offers

Our skilled Fairfield paternity lawyers provide a variety of legal services to assist parents with protecting, enforcing, and establishing their rights as parents. We have years of combined experience helping clients optimally resolve their paternity-related matters. Specifically, we can offer you support with the following services:

• Establishing paternity
• Settling paternity disputes
• Navigating paternity and child support
• Pursuing custody and visitation rights
• Understanding paternity and estate planning

Whether you are a mother seeking to pursue critical financial support for your child or a father who is keen to establish your legal relationship with your child, a compassionate and skilled Fairfield paternity lawyer from our firm can support you. We can ensure that your family law matters are handled according to Connecticut law and advocate for fair and reasonable outcomes that support your rights and interests.

Understanding Paternity and Establishment of Paternity

In Connecticut, paternity involves legally recognizing that a man is the biological father of a child. Establishment of paternity is critical in family law cases, as it can ensure that the child has access to healthcare and financial support from each parent, in addition to inheritance rights. Establishing paternity also triggers the right of the father to pursue custody or visitation rights over the child, as well as make critical decisions in their life.

Most importantly, establishing paternity comes with significant emotional and social benefits through garnering a healthy relationship between parent and child. To leverage the key benefits that come with establishing paternity, mothers, and fathers may look to initiate the legal process. The options for establishing paternity are:

1. Court-Ordered DNA Test

If the parents are in dispute about who the biological father is, or if one parent does not want to voluntarily acknowledge the paternity of the parent, the case may need to go to court. The father, mother, or legal representative of the child can submit a petition to the court to trigger the paternity establishment process. After receiving this request, the courts may order the father to take a DNA test to determine whether he is indeed a biological parent.

If the DNA test shows that the suspected father is indeed a biological parent, the court will establish legal paternity. Upon gaining paternity rights, the father can be ordered to pay a child support obligation or pursue custody and visitation of the child.

2. Voluntary Acknowledgment

A voluntary acknowledgement of paternity form can be signed if each parent is in agreement regarding who is the biological father. This agreement can be signed at a child support office or the hospital where the child was born. This method of establishing paternity is smoother and quicker, because if both parents agree on paternity, no further legal action is required.

This straightforward option usually does not require a DNA test. After the voluntary acknowledgment of paternity form has been submitted, the name of the father is added to the birth certificate of the child. Upon establishing paternity, the father can exercise his parental rights and responsibilities.

Whether you need support with establishing paternity through voluntary acknowledgment or court-order paternity, one of our dedicated family lawyers can help you.

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Protect Your Parental Rights With a Fairfield Paternity Lawyer