Establishing your paternity is the key to having a legal right to your child. If you are not married to your partner when your child is born, you need to sign a Voluntary Acknowledgment of Paternity form in order to become the child’s legal father. If you and the child’s mother do not sign this form, you do not have the right to seek visitation, custody, or child support for the child. Conversely, the mother does not have the right to seek child support from you if you are not the child’s legal father.

You, the child’s mother, or the Florida Department of Child Support Services can also seek to establish paternity through the court. If your child’s paternity is established through this route, it is important that you work with an attorney who can act as an advocate for your interests and those of your child. Call Alexsandra Simoes for help in establishing the paternity in your case.