Santa Clarita Paternity Attorney
Looking to establish or disestablish paternity?
Paternity can stand as a cornerstone of many different family law cases. If you are being told that you are the father of a child or if you are trying to prove that you are, our firm can help. We can also help mothers who are seeking to prove that someone is the father to seek fair child support. We at Cutter & Lax know that paternity can have a profound impact not only on child custody cases, but also on the protection of vital fathers' rights and even the establishment of essential visitation rights. We therefore are dedicated to ensuring that it is something that is handled with care and treated correctly.
Parentage Cases in Santa Clarita, California
When there is dispute over who a child's legal parents are, a parentage case will begin – also commonly referred to as a paternity case. In most cases, especially when parents are married, there is little doubt to the parentage of a child; however, that is not always the case. In situations where adultery is suspected, where parents were not in an exclusive relationship or there are unknown factors, it can become a gray area with a considerable amount of surrounding questions that parents must face. To legally determine parentage, there must either be an official court order or there must be an official Declaration of Paternity.
There are several reasons why parentage would want to be determined. For example, a mother may be seeking financial support from the biological father – until parentage is officially established, she will be without options. Similarly, parentage can result in legal documentation identifying parents, both parents being listed on a birth certificate, access and knowledge of a family's full medical history, health and life insurance coverage from both parents, rights to inherit from both parents, as well as recovery of benefits.
As explained above, there are two ways where parentage can legally be established. The first is for both parties to voluntarily sign a Declaration of Paternity; the word voluntary should be considered carefully in these circumstances – neither party can force or coerce the other party into signing. The second is to seek a court order. In many cases, seeking a court order will require genetic DNA testing to be done to provide proof that the man is indeed the biological father of the child(ren) in question.
There are also circumstances where the law presumes parentage:
- Where the father & mother were married when child conceived
- Where the father attempted to marry the mother during time of conception
- Where the father married the mother after the birth and put his name on the birth certificate
- Where the father welcomed the child into his home & treated the child as his own
Cutter & Lax: Helping with Paternity Testing in SCV
From the very onset to the very end, we will do everything possible to ensure that the question of paternity is given a definitive answer. We recognize that this is often an issue that comes up in divorce, but also cases of couples who were not married and/or were cohabitating. No matter whether you are a mother or an alleged father, you can receive the support that you need from the high-quality legal team at Cutter & Lax.
We are well-known throughout the area as being compassionate advocates on behalf of our clients; to read what clients who have worked with us before think about the difference our firm has been able to make in their case, all you need to read is our testimonials. Want to see for yourself? Pick up the phone and call our divorce & family law firm today. We serve clients throughout Santa Clarita Valley, including Newhall, Saugus, Canyon County and Valencia. We are centrally located, making it easy for you to get in touch with our firm when you need help the most. To schedule your initial consultation, give our firm a call at (818) 839-2533.
