Michigan Family Law Attorneys Handle Paternity Issues
Sterling Heights firm advises on proceedings relating to legal fatherhood
Parenting a child is a combination of tremendous joy and serious responsibility. If you and your co-parent were never married, you might not be able to experience those joys or require your former partner to meet their financial responsibility. Goetting Corrado Law Group, P.C. in Sterling Heights handles legal paternity matters on behalf of residents of Macomb and Oakland Counties, as well as other Michigan communities. Whether you are a biological father seeking custody and visitation rights or a woman looking to establish a child support order, our firm offers effective advice and advocacy.
Paternity when parents are divorced or were never married
Michigan law presumes that the legal father of a married woman’s child is her husband. No such presumption exists with unmarried partners, regardless of the length or nature of their relationship. Once the infant is born, a man can have his name added to the child’s birth certificate to establish legal paternity. If this does not happen, an Affidavit of Parentage can be executed and submitted in person or online. However, if no steps are taken, the child of an unmarried man or woman will not have a legal father. If the biological mother and father agree on paternity, we can prepare the documents necessary to formalize legal parentage.
Establishing paternity under Michigan law to collect child support
Unless paternity is established, a father does not have the ability to obtain an order granting him custody or visitation rights. Likewise, a mother seeking child support from a man must first obtain a determination that he is her son or daughter’s legal father. Should a dispute exist over the child’s parentage, the party looking to establish paternity must petition the court, which will render a decision based on the result of a DNA test. Whether you’re a man looking to spend time with his child or a woman who needs help meeting your child’s financial needs, you should not wait to hire an experienced Michigan family attorney. We will get to work immediately in order to secure the legal result you are looking for.
What custody rights does a father have after establishing paternity?
A decision assigning legal paternity to a man does not instantly give him custody or visitation rights. However, as the legal father, you have the right to request that the court issue an order granting you a share of legal custody and parenting time. Like other child custody cases, the judge makes these decisions based on what he or she believes to be in your son or daughter’s best interests if you and your former partner cannot work out a settlement. Establishing legal parentage does mean that your child has inheritance rights and can be included on your health insurance policy. Once a paternity order is issued, mothers can petition the court for an order requiring the father to make child support payments. The specific amount is often based on a formula that takes into account each parent’s income and other factors, but we can attempt to negotiate a variation if special circumstances apply.
Contact a Michigan lawyer for a free consultation about a paternity matter
Goetting Corrado Law Group, P.C. represents Michigan clients in proceedings relating to the legal paternity of a child. Please call 586-544-7825 or contact us online to make an appointment for a free consultation at our Sterling Heights office.