Paternity

Paternity is the legal and social acknowledgement of the parental relationship between a child and his or her father.  In common law, a child born during a marriage is presumed to be the husband’s child. This presumption could be overcome by evidence that the child was not the husband’s child.

Unmarried fathers may face difficulty securing parenting time with their children after ending the  relationship with the child’s mother. If the couple was never married, and paternity has not been established, the father has very few child custody rights. However, at the Perlmutter Law Firm, we can help change that. Our first step will be to legally establish paternal status. Normally, this can be achieved through legal statements given by both the mother and father. In the event that the mother denies paternity, we can help establish our client’s paternal status. Once paternity is determined, our legal team will help you identify and achieve your child custody goals.

Paternity is defined by the Family Court as being the father of a child/children. A determination of Paternity can dramatically introduce a whole slew of Family Law issues which may include: Child Custody (Shared or Joint Custody or Full Custody), Visitation, and Child Support. The Perlmutter Law Firm has extensive experience in the evaluation and litigation of Paternity cases, as well as in representing fathers who wish to be established as the biological father of a child and maintain an ongoing relationship together with the child.