Why You Should Consider Establishing Paternity of Your Child

Establishing paternity means that a person has been determined to be a child’s legal father. Generally, fathers who are married to the mothers of their children at the time of their child’s birth do not have to take any additional steps to establish paternity. This is not true, however, if two parents were unwed at the time of their child’s birth or if a child’s mother is disputing her child’s paternity. In either case, a child’s father may want to consider establishing paternity, as doing so will create a source of financial support for the child, as well as health insurance coverage and ensure that in the event of the father’s death, his child could inherit assets from his estate. For help determining how to go about establishing paternity of your own child, please contact an experienced paternity lawyer who can walk you through your options.

Financial Support

Fathers whose paternity of a child has been established may be required to make regular payments for the child’s financial support. Establishing paternity, however, doesn’t only affect child support, but could also have an impact on other financial benefits, including access to healthcare, life insurance, pensions, retirement, disability benefits, and inheritance rights, all of which can help ensure that a child’s needs are provided for.

Parental Rights

Once a father’s paternity of a child has been established, he will be granted parental rights, which will in turn, allow him to have a say in important childcare-related decisions. This means that the father would be an equal partner in making decisions about a child’s education, religious upbringing, and extracurricular activities. The father would also have the right to regular visitation with his child and the child’s mother would be barred from relocating with the child without an agreement between the parties or a court order.

Access to Family Medical History

Preventive care is often extremely beneficial to children during their formative years, making it especially important for children to have an accurate family medical history. This can be difficult to achieve without proving that a person is actually a child’s father. However, once paternity has been established, the father could notify doctors of any medical conditions or tendencies that run in the family, which in turn can prepare healthcare providers when creating a preventive care and treatment plan.

Creating Relationships

Establishing paternity can play a key role in helping a child create strong relationships with multiple members of his or her family. This includes not only creating a strong father-child bond, but also fostering relationships with extended family, such as grandparents, aunts and uncles, and cousins, all of whom can play a critical part in a child’s development.

Call Today with Your Paternity-Related Questions and Concerns

If you are trying to establish paternity of your child and you are facing obstacles, please reach out to experienced Fort Lauderdale paternity attorney Sandra Bonfiglio, P.A. for help coming up with a solution. Call us at 954-945-7591or send us an online message to set up a free consultation today.

https://www.sandrabonfiglio.com/shared-parental-responsibility-in-florida/