I am going to have a baby and am not married. How can I establish paternity to get a child support order?
Answer
Your state Child Support Enforcement (CSE) agency can help you to establish paternity and a child support order.</p>
Establishing paternity means that a legal decision is made that a certain man is the father of a particular child.</p> It is necessary to establish paternity if the parents are not married when the baby is born.</p> If the father of your baby goes to the hospital when the baby is born, you and he will have the chance to establish paternity there. Voluntary acknowledgement of paternity gives your baby a legal father right from the start.</p>
Paternity can be established any time up to the child's 18th birthday. Blood, or genetic, testing must be provided in disputed paternity cases at the request of either party. However, once paternity has been established under state law, the federal government does not require the state to reopen the case.</p>
Paternity can be established by "default" if the alleged father is notified of a paternity hearing but does not appear. In many states, the husband is determined to be the father of a child born while the parents are married.</p>
<p>For information about paternity laws that affect you, you can call your state CSE agency, local family or domestic relations court, an attorney, your local bar association or legal aid office.</p>
For information about:</p> How to get a support order: Click Here</p> If you don't believe a child is yours: Click Here</p> Benefits of establishing paternity: Click Here</p>
<p>Establishing paternity if you are the father: Click Here</p>
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