Q: Does a woman have access to financial benefits if there is no claimed paternity of child?
My friends girlfriend recently gave birth to their son alone and told him he could not be there for the sole purpose of collecting some kind of financial benefits now that she has a child who no one has claimed the paternity of.
A: Either parent can contact the local Department of Child Support services and open case to get child support for the baby. This can be done whether or not the father was at the birth or is on the birth certificate. The father should request a paternity test if and when the mother does opens a case. The California website for child support has a lot of useful information and even a tool for estimating how much child support might be. You can also find information for the father if he wants to be proactive and establish his paternity and parental rights, so that he can have parental time with the child. I hope this answers your question.
Justia Ask a Lawyer is a forum for consumers to get answers to basic legal questions. Any information sent through Justia Ask a Lawyer is not secure and is done so on a non-confidential basis only.
The use of this website to ask questions or receive answers does not create an attorney–client relationship between you and Justia, or between you and any attorney who receives your information or responds to your questions, nor is it intended to create such a relationship. Additionally, no responses on this forum constitute legal advice, which must be tailored to the specific circumstances of each case. You should not act upon information provided in Justia Ask a Lawyer without seeking professional counsel from an attorney admitted or authorized to practice in your jurisdiction. Justia assumes no responsibility to any person who relies on information contained on or received through this site and disclaims all liability in respect to such information.
Justia cannot guarantee that the information on this website (including any legal information provided by an attorney through this service) is accurate, complete, or up-to-date. While we intend to make every attempt to keep the information on this site current, the owners of and contributors to this site make no claims, promises or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness or adequacy of the information contained in or linked to from this site.
