Paternity actions often involve important issues including:

  • Child support
  • Timesharing
  • Parenting concerns
  • Child welfare safety and issues

In some unfortunate cases, a parent may raise allegations of abuse, neglect, drug use or other issues of parental fitness. Brady Law Firm, P.A., represents both mothers and fathers in all aspects of paternity actions.

It is important to establish “paternity” under several different but common circumstances.

In many cases, an unmarried couple had children together or cohabitated as a family, but the relationship demised. The issues in a paternity case are limited to child-related and parenting issues.

Mother’s Paternity Rights & Actions

When the mother initiates a paternity action, the main focus is usually on establishing paternity and collecting child support. Each parent has a duty to support their children and the right to be involved in their children’s lives.

We Can Help You:

  • Confirm paternity with DNA Testing
  • Pursue with legal action against father if refusal of child support payment
  • With visitation rights limited if father is suspected to be abusive against child(ren)

Father’s Paternity Rights & Actions

The suspected father may also initiate a paternity action and his focus is usually on establishing his timesharing rights and other parental rights including “shared parental responsibility”.

  • Shared Parental Responsibility will allow both parties to have input regarding important decisions and matters pertaining to children. Each parent has the right to actively participate in the lives of their children.

We Can Help You:

  • Prove paternity by scheduling DNA Test
  • With visitation rights/shared responsibility
  • With a plan to negotiate payment for child support

In other cases, an action for paternity and child support is initiated in the “Child Support Enforcement Division” by a parent or by a governmental agency providing public assistance to the parent or child(ren). In this instance, an administrative order requiring child support from the other parent is usually entered by a Hearing Officer. However, if the other parent is the father, the administrative order will not establish the father’s rights to timesharing or to “shared parental responsibility” of the child(ren).

In order to receive these parental rights, a father must file a separate paternity action in the family court division. The two cases are commonly consolidated or joined together as one case proceeding in the family court division.

Need Proof of DNA Test?

In the event that paternity is disputed by either party, either party may request a paternity test (or DNA test). The paternity test process is relatively simple, inexpensive, and reliable. Our law firm can file the appropriate motion to request a paternity test or to challenge paternity.