Q: What kind of rights does my child’s father have if we never married
He is on the birth certificate
A: An unwed father's paternity, and therefore his parental rights, has to be established by a family court order even if his name is on the birth certificate. Paternity will be the first issue that will need to be addressed in an initial child support, visitation or custody case. Paternity can be established as easily as having the father and mother admitting in court that he is the father. If there is a dispute as to paternity, DNA testing can be done.
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