For fathers to access their parental rights, they must be able to establish paternity for their child. When a couple is married, the husband is automatically presumed to be the legal father of the child. No additional action needs to be taken by the father. However, if an unmarried woman has a child, active steps must be taken by the father in order to obtain legal rights.
At The Colwell Law Group, LLC, our skilled Warren County paternity lawyers have extensive experience handling a wide range of paternity cases in New York. Regardless of the specific circumstances of your paternity action, our legal team is prepared to provide you with top-quality legal support. Whether you need to prove paternity, or disestablish paternity, we have the knowledge and experience to protect your rights.
Why Paternity Matters
If paternity has not been established, then a father will not be able to access his parental rights. Without valid legal paternity, a father cannot claim custody rights, visitation rights, child support, or any other rights that he could have as a parent.
Similarly, if paternity has not been established, mothers will not be able to hold a father to his parental responsibilities. Most notably, this means that a mother cannot hold a man legally responsible for child support unless she can establish paternity.