Fathers across Montgomery county value the relationship they have with their children. For those fathers who are seeking a new relationship or are trying to continue an old one, fathers’ rights can come into play. Indeed, legal paternity can completely change the relationship a father has with his child.
Legal paternity has weight in the child custody world because it declares that you are the legal father of a child. Many fathers seek paternity because it is the legal establishment of the identity of a child’s father. For these fathers, paternity can be established in several ways.
Taking advantage of these options to obtain legal paternity is a huge step for a father seeking child custody. The declaration, essentially, means a child’s father is held accountable for his share of support and responsibility of raising the child. In exchange a father claiming paternity also gains some form of custody and visitation rights to the child. For some fathers the child custody process is a gradual assertion of visitation to custody and for others it means immediate legal custody over the child.
Every father’s journey to legal paternity and child custody is different and will present unique challenges. Understanding where you stand in relation to legal paternity in relation to child custody is key. Many need to start from scratch, such as seeking paternity rights, before a father can gain visitation or child custody. Although the road may seem long to some, it is well worth it when it comes to the relationship of you and your child.
Source: FindLaw, “Legal Significance of Paternity,” Accessed Nov. 1, 2015
