Why is Establishing Paternity Important?

There are several reasons people may wish to establish paternity of children. First, a man who is allegedly the father of a child may wish to establish paternity or request DNA testing to obtain child custody. Second, if the alleged father does not want joint or sole custody, he may want visitation and will have to prove paternity to get the court to agree to his request.

Another reason an alleged other may wish to establish paternity is because he wants to revoke his voluntary declaration of parentage. This usually happens when a man felt pressured to sign the declaration.

Men are not the only people who may wish to establish paternity. Mothers may seek paternity tests when they want to receive child support payments from alleged fathers and will have to prove biological relationships exist between their children and alleged fathers.

If you have questions about paternity, contact our law office today to set up a consultation with a Jacksonville family law attorney who can help.