Paternity

If you are the mother or father of a child born outside of marriage in Florida, paternity will likely need to be established, which can be an important move for everyone involved. Because paternity is a complicated legal matter that requires careful legal attention, seeking the skilled guidance of an experienced Florida family law attorney is the best path forward.

The law assumes that a woman’s husband is the father of any child born within the marital relationship, and this automatically establishes paternity. Anytime that a child is born outside of these parameters, however, paternity must be established. If both parents agree on who the dad is, or who the 2^nd parent is, paternity can be established via what is known as a Voluntary Acknowledgement of Paternity form. By signing this form, both parents acknowledge the father’s paternity, and the matter is finalized 60 days after signing. After these 60 days pass, paternity cannot be revoked unless fraud or extreme force can be proven. Outside of voluntary acknowledgment, any of the following parties can instigate the paternity process:

– The mother
– The man who has been identified as or who believes he is the father
– The 2^nd parent of the child
– A legal representative of the child
– The Florida Department of Child Support Services

Just like any other legal matter, establishing paternity can be costly. Because the court does not want parents and children to miss out on forming the strongest relationships possible (with all the positives that come with this), they don’t want the cost of doing so to stop parents from establishing the paternity of their children. If you can demonstrate financial need and can show that the other parent has the financial ability to cover the legal costs of establishing paternity, the court may award you your attorney fees and costs.

If you’re facing a paternity concern, the seasoned Florida family law attorneys at Costa & Associates understand how critical the matter is to you and your child, and we have an impressive track record of successfully helping clients like you establish paternity and beyond. To schedule your free consultation, please don’t hesitate to contact or call us at 305-827-0100 today.