Paternity/Legitimation

Establishing or Enforcing Paternity is a Critical Legal Step

In the state of Georgia, all children who are born during a marriage are legally presumed to be children of both the husband and the wife. This automatically grants both parties all the rights and responsibilities of being a parent. If, however, a child is born outside of wedlock, the paternity of the child is not assumed. The father must first establish legal paternity before they can fight for any other rights, such as parenting time. In addition, the mother would need to establish legal paternity of the father before she can seek child support.

When it becomes necessary to determine paternity, Georgia courts will hold a hearing. If necessary, the court can order a DNA test to determine whether or not a man is the biological father of the child or children in question. This, however, is not always necessary. If both the mother and the father agree that the child is the fathers, the process can be completed by signing the proper legal documents.

Whether you are a mother looking to prove who the father is, or you are the father wanting to gain your legal rights to your children, we are here to help. Paternity cases (also called legitimation cases) don’t have to be overly complicated, but they do need to be handled with special care. Our experience in this area can help to avoid potential delays or other issues that can cause problems. Contact us to talk about your options and get the process started for establishing the paternity of a child or children.