Paternity

  • The Point of Establishing Paternity

    ByGoodblatt • Leo Hours Categories Family Law, Paternity

    All parents have an obligation to financially support their children, regardless of the relationship status with the other parent. When parents are married or living together, this support comes as a natural part of caring for members of the same household. But when divorce or separation occurs, financial assistance that was once a given may become a dispute. Only individuals considered to be a child’s legal parents have this financial obligation. For women who give birth, outside of surrogacy, establishing parentage is quite simple and automatic, but for men, the process of becoming a child’s legal father can be more complicated, and requires paternity be established. Married men are automatically presumed to be a child’s father, and the rights and obligations of this designation descend…

  • Paternity & Child Support in Florida

    ByGoodblatt • Leo Hours Categories Child Support, Divorce, Family Law, Paternity

    All children should have parents that love and care for them; but increasingly single parents make up a significant portion of families.  Florida law does not automatically assign paternity unless the parents are married to each other.  Sometimes men who love their children are shut out of their lives, and sometimes women who are entitled to child support and other help with their children go without. If you are not married to your children’s father or mother, you may need to take the appropriate steps to ensure your rights and benefits as a parent. Rights and Benefits of Paternity Florida law confers several rights and advantages on those who accept paternity.  The rewards for the child are many, not least of all being able to…