A paternity action is the gateway that unmarried mothers and fathers must pass through before they can exercise their parental rights in relation to child custody and support.
At Greenwood Associates in Provo, Utah, our lawyers have 30 plus years of experience in family law and divorce cases. You can count on us to answer all of your questions about a paternity case, educating you about your options and your rights and obligations as a parent.
Why Establishing Paternity Matters
When parents are not married, the law does not automatically recognize the father's legal relationship to the child. Establishing paternity creates that legal link, and it is the foundation for everything that follows, including child support, custody and parenting time. For the child, paternity can also secure important benefits, such as access to a parent's health insurance, inheritance rights and a fuller medical history.
Paternity can often be established voluntarily when both parents agree, and in other cases it is established through DNA testing and a court order. We represent both mothers and fathers and tailor our approach to your goals.
Rights and Obligations for Both Parents
For an unwed mother, we can help establish paternity and then move forward to pursue child support, while preparing you for the possibility that the father may request parenting time. For an unwed father, we can help establish paternity and then explore your options for being a meaningful part of your child's life, while explaining your child support obligations and helping ensure that your payments are fair.
Contact our legal team today to learn more about paternity cases.