Establishing Paternity is Important

If you are not married to the father of your child, it is still important to establish paternity rather than deal with long legal battles later on in your child's life.

The most important reason for establishing paternity is support. No matter how much either parent makes, the law demands that both mother and father contribute to raising their child. This applies not only to essentials like food, a place to live and clothes to wear, but to medical support as well.

Other reasons to establish paternity include social security benefits, establishing the citizenship of the child (vital when the mother of the child is not American), and visitation rights. Even if the mother already allows a father to visit with his child, a dad would want to have those rights validated in court. To do so, he will need to establish his biological relationship by completing DNA testing.

Do you have questions about establishing paternity in the state of California?  If so, contact the Law Office of Michael Young to speak with a Riverside family law attorney about DNA testing and your fathers' rights.