Why Paternity Matters in Oklahoma
When a married couple has a baby, the state of Oklahoma will legally determine that the husband is the biological father of the child. This is called the “presumption of paternity.” The child is entitled to the benefit of their relationship with their parents like inheriting their estate in cases where the parents do not have end-of-life planning documents stating otherwise. And the parents, have the ability to raise their children according to their values and views.
In situations where a woman has a baby but is not married, then that presumption does not exist. A father, in this situation, must take legal action for the state to consider him the biological father to the child and with corresponding rights to that child.
If you are a father that is being denied your rights to your children or having other issues accessing your child, this may be because you have not established paternity to that child. This will be a necessary action that you will have to take before issues with your relationship with your child can be worked out. Connecting with an attorney can be helpful here. For help with all matters of family law, the experienced Oklahoma City family law attorney at the Putnam Law Office provides support.
Why Is Paternity Important in Oklahoma?
Establishing paternity is a critical action for many reasons. But, in specific, there are three situations where paternity is necessary. These would be:
- When parents are not married, and both want some type of custody situation worked out, then a father only has a right to have a say if he is considered the biological father.
- There are certain rights that parents have to their children including the child’s last name. A father will need to have established paternity to the child when he is unmarried to the child’s mother before he will be given consideration for his last name to be used.
- A mother who would like to have help with the costs of raising a child may only be able to have a man obligated to pay if he is the established paternal father of that child.
As you can see, paternity is a necessary thing to confirm because of how impactful it can be for parents and their children.
An Acknowledgement of Paternity is one way that paternity can be established. This is a voluntary process.
Where voluntary action is not taken, the court may become involved when one side either the mother or father files a lawsuit seeking paternity information. Testing will be done and when the results show that a father is 99% or more likely to be the rightful paternal father decisions regarding child custody, child visitation, or child support can be assessed by the courts.
Call an Oklahoma Family Law Attorney Today
If you are an unmarried parent that would like to have paternity established and need help with issues like child custody or support, please call the Putnam Law Office at (405) 849-9149. Initial consultations are complimentary.
