Establishing Paternity

When a child is born into a marriage it is presumed the husband is the father, and it is not necessary to sign a Declaration of Paternity.  However, registered domestic partners and unmarried couples need to sign a Declaration of Paternity indicating who the father of the child is.  

When the parentage of a child is questionable, both the mother and the presumed father can request a paternity test.  When a woman requests a paternity test, it is usually because she needs child support, and needs to establish which man is responsible for supporting the child.  Sometimes the woman doesn’t want money, but just wants the peace of mind knowing who the father of her child is. 

Men seek paternity tests for similar reasons.  In some cases, a man may want to be involved in the child’s life, but the mother won’t give him custody or visitation time unless he can prove he is the father.  In other cases, a man may wish to establish paternity so he can get out of paying child support.  If a paternity test indicates the man is not the father, he is not legally obligated to continue paying child support to the mother.