Paternity
Paternity establishes that a “legal” father has been named for a child or dependent. A legitimation finding can provide the father with custody or visitation rights and child support could also be obtained or denied based on a determination of paternity. These matters would be determined in proceedings following the resolution of paternity. Additional results of a paternity finding could include access by the child to Social Security, veteran’s benefits, inheritance, health care and life insurance benefits, where available. Paternity also provides a family medical history, which could assist in the medical care of the child throughout the child’s life.
In the State of Georgia, a child who is born within a marriage is acknowledged legally to be the child of both spouses. When the parents are not married, a couple can look into filing an Acknowledgment of Paternity to declare paternity. While this can be done at a hospital, it can also be done anywhere else as long as the signing is done in front of a witness and in the presence of a Notary Public and then filed with the proper government agency. All parties should be aware that signing an Acknowledgment of Paternity waives the signors right to later seek a DNA test. The Acknowledgment will have the same impact as a court order of paternity. If there is any doubt to the parentage of a child, you should seek the services of Bill Lester to assist you in clarifying options for establishing paternity.
Contact Bill so he can assist you through this process and achieve a smooth resolution that allows you to move forward with your life. Bill represents clients throughout the entire Atlanta area including the communities of Dunwoody, Sandy Springs, Roswell, Decatur, Marietta, Stone Mountain, Lawrenceville, Cumming, Forsyth County, Smyrna, Alpharetta, Douglasville, Lithonia, Tucker and Snellville. Please click on the bio of William R. Lester here to learn more about his practice or click here to read some client testimonials. Please also feel free to utilize our family law resource links.
Paternity
Paternity establishes that a “legal” father has been named for a child or dependent. A legitimation finding can provide the father with custody or visitation rights and child support could also be obtained or denied based on a determination of paternity. These matters would be determined in proceedings following the resolution of paternity. Additional results of a paternity finding could include access by the child to Social Security, veteran’s benefits, inheritance, health care and life insurance benefits, where available. Paternity also provides a family medical history, which could assist in the medical care of the child throughout the child’s life.
In the State of Georgia, a child who is born within a marriage is acknowledged legally to be the child of both spouses. When the parents are not married, a couple can look into filing an Acknowledgment of Paternity to declare paternity. While this can be done at a hospital, it can also be done anywhere else as long as the signing is done in front of a witness and in the presence of a Notary Public and then filed with the proper government agency. All parties should be aware that signing an Acknowledgment of Paternity waives the signors right to later seek a DNA test. The Acknowledgment will have the same impact as a court order of paternity. If there is any doubt to the parentage of a child, you should seek the services of Bill Lester to assist you in clarifying options for establishing paternity.
Contact Bill so he can assist you through this process and achieve a smooth resolution that allows you to move forward with your life. Bill represents clients throughout the entire Atlanta area including the communities of Dunwoody, Sandy Springs, Roswell, Decatur, Marietta, Stone Mountain, Lawrenceville, Cumming, Forsyth County, Smyrna, Alpharetta, Douglasville, Lithonia, Tucker and Snellville. Please click on the bio of William R. Lester here to learn more about his practice or click here to read some client testimonials. Please also feel free to utilize our family law resource links.