Paternity is the act of identifying a child's father. Establishing paternity is important for many reasons, including establishing child support obligations and creating a legal relationship between a man and his child. Both circumstances can ensure that a child is emotionally and financially stable while being able to develop a strong bond with their father. Of course, sometimes paternity is merely a means to secure child support, however, regardless of the desired outcome, paternity can only be established in one of the ways identified by state law.
Consider having a legal ally during child custody dispute
There are a number of factors that can play into a child custody determination. We recently discussed the impact domestic violence can have on children and the role it can play in child custody disputes, but there are other significant issues that can be determinative in these conflicts. Substance abuse, physical and emotional abuse, financial resources, existing relationships, and even proximity to school and other family members can all be instructive to a court trying to resolve a child custody disagreement.
