How To Establish Paternity In Florida

Determining the legal father of a child is one of the best things that you can do as a parent. Florida law provides a couple of different ways to establish paternity depending on the circumstances of your case, and the experienced family law attorneys at Bubley & Bubley, P.A. in Tampa Bay can help facilitate that process. If you are interested in establishing the paternity of a child or have been served with a petition to determine paternity, call or contact our office today to schedule a consultation of your case.

How to Determine Paternity 

There are two main methods of establishing paternity for a child in Florida. It should be noted that paternity is presumed to be the husband unless proven otherwise when a heterosexual married couple gives birth. For parents who are unmarried, the first method of establishing paternity is through a Voluntary Acknowledgement of Paternity form. This method is appropriate when both parents are in agreement about the paternity of the child, and the form can either be filled out at the hospital after the birth or after the child returns home from the hospital. Once the paperwork is submitted, the birth certificate can be amended to include the father’s name.

When there is disagreement about the paternity of a child, the second method of determining the biological father of the child may be necessary. This is done by a court order for a genetic test of the father and child. The parent who wishes to establish paternity must submit their petition to the court with the assistance of an experienced lawyer, which compels the presumed father to submit to testing in order to determine whether he is the biological father of the child. The test is noninvasive and pain-free, consisting of a simple swab of buccal (inner cheek) cells, and the results are usually determined in six to eight weeks.

Benefits of Establishing Paternity 

There are many benefits for the parents and child of establishing paternity. The child gets the opportunity to create a relationship with both parents in addition to securing inheritance rights and possible health insurance coverage. The father gets an opportunity to build a relationship with their child, along with the possibility of joint custody or visitation rights. The mother also benefits, as the establishment of paternity also means obtaining support to help provide for the basic living expenses of the child. If you are interested in learning more about the benefits of establishing paternity as well as advice on the best way to do so, talk to our office today.

Call or Contact Bubley & Bubley, P.A. 

Are you interested in determining the paternity of a child or been served with a court order to test for paternity? If so, the skilled and compassionate Tampa family attorneys at Bubley & Bubley, P.A. are here to help. Call the office or contact us today to schedule a consultation of your case now.

Source:

leg.state.fl.us/Statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=0700-0799/0742/Sections/0742.10.html