Eliminate Doubt, Get a Paternity Determination
There are times that the paternity of a child may be held in question. Eventually, one or both parents may decide it is best to settle paternity determination. Some parents agree to an Acknowledgement of Paternity on their own, or at the urging of a state agency. For a parent concerned about protecting a child’s future, however, the advice, counsel and sometimes the representation of a Tulsa paternity determination lawyer can be essential.
Undocumented paternity often occurs in a casual relationship when a child is born out of wedlock. The mother fails to put the father’s name down on the birth certificate because she is either unsure or just does not want to name the father. Time goes by and either the mother seeking support wants to name the father, or the father seeking a closer relationship with the child seeks visitation. In that case, one or the other parent may seek to determine the paternity of the child. This can be done in a couple of different ways in Oklahoma. The advice of a Tulsa paternity determination attorney can be helpful when there is a dispute over a minor child.
The easiest way to establish paternity is by using an Acknowledgement of Paternity document. This for can be used as long as both parents agree to sign it. The hospital in which the birth occurs has the form. It can be completed either at the hospital or later. However, if the form is completed later, there is a fee charged by the Department of Health to set up paternity and issue a new birth certificate for the child. The form must be signed by both parents and witnessed.
What To Do When Paternity Is Contested
Sometimes, paternity can be contested. A would-be father states that the child is not his. Or a mother alleges that a man is the father when he is sure that he is not. People usually seek legal help when paternity is contested.
Some of these cases can be settled by negotiations between the parties, but if you have any doubts about paternity, you might get a DNA test done. DNA tests are inexpensive and minimally invasive and most of all, accurate. Modern DNA testing can rule out 90% to 99% of the population as the likely father. DNA testing can result in highly reliable paternity determinations.
The most common legal paternity testing is done by an accredited lab by gently swabbing the inside of your mouth with a cotton (buccal) swab, capturing your DNA. The cells captured on the swab contain DNA that can be analyzed in a lab. This method is usually deemed sufficient by a judge hearing a paternity matter. If the judge hearing the paternity matter feels that it is insufficient, the judge may order that a blood test be used instead.
Establishing paternity is a prerequisite for a number of legal rights, duties and privileges regarding the relationship between parents and children and between the parents with regard to a child. If you have questions regarding the procedure and what rights may be affected by its outcome, you may want to arrange for a free confidential consultation with a Tulsa paternity determination attorney by calling the Divorce of Tulsa Law Office today for at 918-924-5526.
What Rights Are Affected By Establishing Paternity?
If there is no Acknowledgement of Paternity, the only other way to establish paternity is with a lawsuit filed in a Tulsa court. This is often when a paternity test is ordered by the judge sitting in family court. This type of case is sometimes brought by either the mother seeking child support or to establish a relationship between the child and the father, or by the father, seeking to establish visitation rights and solidify his relationship with the child, or sometimes by Oklahoma Child Support Services, seeking to establish the child’s rights to support.
If the child is not yours, you may want a DNA test to prove that before you make decisions that could affect the rest of your life emotionally and financially. Likewise, if a man is attached to a child, he can care for the child, but a DNA test will show that he is not the biological father.
Finally, sometimes the issue of paternity arises in inheritance. You can establish inheritance rights from your biological father by a simple DNA test. This can be a powerful tool in a situation where the father dies intestate, that is, without a will. A paternity determination can establish a right to inherit.
Paternity determination often involves emotionally sensitive matters. A Tulsa paternity determination attorney sometimes settle the matter short of a court proceeding. This can help keep private matters private.
Whatever your paternity needs, bring them to a compassionate and knowledgeable Tulsa paternity determination attorney. Get the support you need when you need it.
A Free Consultation With A Tulsa Paternity Determination Attorney
Bring your questions and concerns and let’s work together to help you and your child. Call the Oklahoma paternity lawyers at Divorce of Tulsa Law Office today for a free initial consultation at 918-924-5526.
