Otsego County Paternity Lawyer

Family Law Attorney Assisting Clients with Paternity Cases in Otsego County, New York

Paternity establishment is a process through which the legal father of a child is determined. There are many different kinds of fathers’ rights cases in which it is important and often essential to establish paternity. In some situations, paternity may be in question surrounding a child custody case. In other situations, a parent may be seeking to establish paternity for purposes of child support. No matter what questions or concerns you have about paternity establishment in Upstate New York, an experienced Otsego County paternity lawyer can help.

How Do Upstate New York Courts in Otsego County Establish Paternity?

How will an Otsego County court establish paternity? The answer to that question depends upon whether the parents are unmarried. Under , there are only two ways to establish paternity when a child is born to unmarried parents. Those ways include the following:

• Parents sign an Acknowledgment of Paternity form (which is voluntary); or
• Parent(s) petition the court to have paternity determined.

If the parents want to sign the Acknowledgment of Paternity, they can receive all the information they need either at the time of the child’s birth or well after the child has been born. It is important to recognize, however, that signing the form means that the parents cannot later ask the court to do a DNA test to establish paternity. What happens when the parents are married and one of the parents has a question about paternity? In short, New York law assumes that the married parents are both the legal parents of the child. As such, in the event of a divorce, the father already has established rights as a legal parent when it comes to child custody matters.

Benefits of Establishing Paternity in Otsego County

What are some of the benefits of establishing paternity? There are many reasons why a child in Otsego County should have a legal father. By establishing paternity, the child can be assured of certain rights and responsibilities with regard to both parents. There are benefits for the parents, too. Benefits for all parties in establishing paternity include but are not limited to the following:

• Child has access to medical benefits from either parent;
• Child has access to full medical history;
• Child is eligible for financial support from both parents;
• Parents share in parental responsibilities;
• Parents both have legal rights as parents established; and
• Parents both have the right to seek child custody and visitation.

Why Courts and Families in Otsego County Want to Establish Paternity

Beyond the general benefits listed above, why do most families want to establish paternity? As we mentioned, it is typically for one of the following reasons:

• To obtain child support payments; or
• To have parental rights to seek child custody or visitation.

Contact an Otsego County Paternity Lawyer

If you have questions about establishing paternity, seeking child support payments, or seeking child custody and visitation, it is important to speak with a paternity lawyer in Otsego County as soon as possible. An advocate at our firm can discuss the process of establishing paternity with you, and we can help you as you move forward in your case. Contact The Colwell Law Group, LLC to learn more about the services we provide to residents of Upstate New York.