When a baby is born to a married couple, the mother’s husband is assumed to be the father of the child. Paternity is the legal definition of a father’s relationship with the child. When a father establishes that he is legally the father, he has rights to the child, such as parenting time. This is what legally differentiates him from anyone else, such as a family friend or other father figure. Establishing paternity not only strengthens the relationship between father and child, but the child will also benefit.
Ways to Confirm Parentage
The only way paternity is automatically established is through marriage. Even if the parents of a child live together, or are engaged to be married, paternity will need to be established another way. The only exception is if the mother was married, or in a civil union, at least 300 days before the birth. In these cases, her partner or former partner will be assumed to be the child’s father.
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