One of the challenges that men face when it comes to childbirth is the uncertainty of paternity. Whether you are confident in the paternity of a child or you have questions, you have a legal right to paternity testing. In fact, testing is an important tool for establishing legal paternity and protecting your rights if you are the child’s father.
There are a few situations when you should petition the court to establish paternity.
1. The birth mother did not list you on the birth certificate
If the birth mother neglected to list your name as the father on the birth certificate, you have no legal right to the child unless you establish paternity. You cannot modify the birth certificate without the confirmed paternity test, which means you cannot seek custody or visitation should the birth mother try to interfere with your relationship.
2. You received a child support petition
Even when you believe a child to be yours, seek paternity testing before a child support hearing to avoid a child support order for a child that is not yours. Not only does the test establish legal responsibility, but it also protects your legal right to the child.
3. You suspect the mother may choose adoption
If you believe that the birth mother is considering adoption and you wish to keep the child, you can petition for a paternity test and an injunction to prevent the adoption until you establish paternity.
So many people focus on a mother’s rights that the rights of the father are often overlooked. Protect your rights to your child by requesting paternity testing when necessary.
