Understanding Paternity Laws in Oklahoma: Rights and Responsibilities
As a father, you deserve the right to see your children and develop your bond. But in order to do this, you must establish paternity. Paternity can be as simple as having a child with a married spouse or with a partner that you marry within 300 days of when your child is born. However, when marriage is not a factor, then a man still has options to invoke his parental rights.
Establishing paternity can be a very complex task and a time-intensive process. But, doing so can grant a man his parental rights which are critically important to his involvement and relationship with his children.
If you are a father who has questions about what your parental rights are or how to have them established, then you can connect with the Oklahoma City family law attorneys at the Putnam Law Office.
Understanding Paternity in Oklahoma
A recent study by the Census Bureau said that just under 62% of men age 15 and older are fathers. This roughly amounts to over 74 million fathers in the United States. The study also cited that four out of five men live with at least some of their minor biological children- or children who are under the age of 18. The Census Bureau also found that of the fathers in the U.S. around 8.2% have never been married, 12.9% were married at least once but are divorced, and 2.3% are separated. The largest portion of fathers, or 73.4% of them, are married.
Married fathers in Oklahoma will have an easier time gaining and retaining their rights to custody and visitation of their children because children born into a marriage can establish a father’s paternity.
For fathers of children where no marriage exists, it is still possible to have access to children but the process can be a little trickier. There are steps to take including legal registration where a man would file to have his paternity acknowledged. Then it is necessary for the mother to sign the registration. If these things happen, and the child does not have another man as their presumed father or legal father, the man who files legal registration can establish his paternity.
Sometimes, though, things can become very contentious and complicated especially when a mother will not sign the registration. When this happens, an a mother contests a man’s claims of paternity, genetic testing may be appropriate. A man who is deemed to be the biological father of a child will then have to proceed forward with taking legal action to pursue either his custody or visitation rights.
Ultimately, once paternity is legally recognized in Oklahoma it is up to the court to determine the custody or visitation schedule that is in the best interest of the child. Both parents will have to accept the results, as one parent cannot deny access to a child once the court makes a decision on the most productive parenting arrangement.
Speak to an Attorney at the Putnam Law Office Today
It can be quite emotional if you are unable to be with your children and are looking for a way to remedy your situation. But, even fathers have rights. For this reason, they should not give up on standing up for themselves and their children.
For help with an Oklahoma paternity case, please call the Putnam Law Office today at 405-724-7701 to schedule a free consultation.
