Establishing legal parentage
Under the law, the legal parents of a child have certain rights (like custody and visitation) and responsibilities (child support). In order for unmarried parents to have the legal rights and responsibilities of parenthood, the court must establish them as a legal parent. The court process for declaring someone a legal parent is called Parentage.
What do you want to do?
Establish another person as the legal parent of my child
You would typically do this as a step in getting child support, custody, and/or visitation orders when you are not married to the other person.
You can file a parentage case yourself, or, if you only need child support orders, you can have a local child support agency file one on your behalf.
Establish myself as the legal parent of a child
You would typically do this as a step in getting child support, custody, and/or visitation orders when you are not married to the other person and you are not yet considered a legal parent of the child.
Respond to a court case that would establish me as the legal parent of a child
If you were served with court papers in a parentage case:
- You can respond and agree if you want to be the legal parent
- You can respond and challenge the case if you don't think (or are not sure) you are the legal parent
- You can respond and challenge a case seeking to remove or cancel your status as a legal parent
Cancel or rescind my status as a legal parent
You would do this is you were declared a legal parent by mistake, if you feel a court order was made in error, or if you want to take back a voluntary declaration you made to be a legal parent.