Kernersville Paternity Lawyer

One of the primary issues that a dedicated family law attorney deals with is the paternity of a minor child. Questions regarding paternity arise from married and unmarried couples alike, and the outcome of this process can have a tremendous impact on the lives of everyone involved.

Establishing paternity in a timely manner is beneficial not only to you but to the child as well. A Kernersville paternity lawyer at Apple Payne Law can assist with every aspect of the process.

Why Establishing Paternity is Important

Establishing paternity is in the best interest of everyone involved for countless reasons. For the parents, establishing paternity could provide for financial stability through child support payments as well as formally recognizing visitation rights for a noncustodial parent.

For the child, learning about their birth father could give a child insight into their family medical history or entitle them to inheritance, depending on the language of the father’s will. A Kernersville attorney can be invaluable when understanding the importance of determining paternity.

Ways to Determine Paternity in Kernersville

The law lays out three ways to determine paternity: presumption, affidavit, and court-action. When people are struggling with disputes regarding paternity, relying on a well-versed lawyer at Apple Payne Law is often the best way to resolve the conflict.

Presumption

There are situations where the law presumes that a man is the father of a minor child. Children born in Kernersville during a marriage are presumed to belong to the spouses. Likewise, a mother and father who marry after the birth of a baby can extend that presumption retroactively. In these cases, paternity is presumed, and there is no need for further action.

Affidavit

A father can also acknowledge their position as a parent through a more formal process, called an affidavit of parentage. An affidavit of parentage is a legally binding document that formally confers the rights and duties of a parent to a father. Affidavits are common when parents are unmarried, but the paternity of the baby is not in doubt.

Paternity Actions

The final option is also the most contentious. A paternity action is a type of civil lawsuit that is filed to determine the paternity of a child. While these actions are often filed when a child is young, they can occur at any point prior to the child turning 18.

Either parent has the right to seek a paternity action. In these cases, the court will typically request genetic testing to be done on the child as well as the potential father. If the DNA results show that the father and child share DNA, the court will issue an order establishing paternity.

Call a Kernersville Paternity Attorney Today

Paternity issues can be emotional and difficult to resolve. Thankfully, the right legal counsel could assist you with dealing with these difficult issues that come up.

You are under no obligation to address issues of paternity on your own. Contact a Kernersville paternity lawyer at Apple Payne Law to assist you with any questions you might have.