{"id":4052,"date":"2021-07-14T20:04:38","date_gmt":"2021-07-15T03:04:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/805familylaw.com\/?page_id=2346"},"modified":"2023-01-16T02:38:34","modified_gmt":"2023-01-16T02:38:34","slug":"paternity-action","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.atownlaw.com\/paternity-action\/","title":{"rendered":"Paternity Action"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-page\" data-elementor-id=\"4052\" class=\"elementor elementor-4052\" data-elementor-post-type=\"page\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-af18252 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"af18252\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-d48fcee\" data-id=\"d48fcee\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-7639194 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"7639194\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<style>\/*! elementor - v3.21.0 - 30-04-2024 *\/\n.elementor-heading-title{padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title[class*=elementor-size-]>a{color:inherit;font-size:inherit;line-height:inherit}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title.elementor-size-small{font-size:15px}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title.elementor-size-medium{font-size:19px}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title.elementor-size-large{font-size:29px}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title.elementor-size-xl{font-size:39px}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title.elementor-size-xxl{font-size:59px}<\/style><h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Paternity Action Lawyers in San Luis Obispo, CA<\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-2c5c1dd elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"2c5c1dd\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-50 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-73d4d20\" data-id=\"73d4d20\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-7bf1d04 elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"7bf1d04\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<style>\/*! elementor - v3.21.0 - 30-04-2024 *\/\n.elementor-widget-image{text-align:center}.elementor-widget-image a{display:inline-block}.elementor-widget-image a img[src$=\".svg\"]{width:48px}.elementor-widget-image img{vertical-align:middle;display:inline-block}<\/style>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"528\" src=\"https:\/\/www.atownlaw.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Paternity-Action-Lawyers-in-San-Luis-Obispo-CA-768x528.jpg\" class=\"attachment-medium_large size-medium_large wp-image-4469\" alt=\"Paternity Action Lawyers in San Luis Obispo, CA\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.atownlaw.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Paternity-Action-Lawyers-in-San-Luis-Obispo-CA-768x528.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.atownlaw.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Paternity-Action-Lawyers-in-San-Luis-Obispo-CA-300x206.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.atownlaw.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/Paternity-Action-Lawyers-in-San-Luis-Obispo-CA.jpg 800w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-50 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-3d113ec\" data-id=\"3d113ec\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-061f93f elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"061f93f\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<style>\/*! elementor - v3.21.0 - 30-04-2024 *\/\n.elementor-widget-text-editor.elementor-drop-cap-view-stacked .elementor-drop-cap{background-color:#69727d;color:#fff}.elementor-widget-text-editor.elementor-drop-cap-view-framed .elementor-drop-cap{color:#69727d;border:3px solid;background-color:transparent}.elementor-widget-text-editor:not(.elementor-drop-cap-view-default) .elementor-drop-cap{margin-top:8px}.elementor-widget-text-editor:not(.elementor-drop-cap-view-default) .elementor-drop-cap-letter{width:1em;height:1em}.elementor-widget-text-editor .elementor-drop-cap{float:left;text-align:center;line-height:1;font-size:50px}.elementor-widget-text-editor .elementor-drop-cap-letter{display:inline-block}<\/style>\t\t\t\t<p>Paternity is the status of being someone\u2019s father and establishing paternity is important to\u00a0<b>determine who has rights and obligations towards a child<\/b>. This isn\u2019t always easy because the laws concerning paternity can get complicated, so talk to one of our California paternity action lawyers to know more about how you can establish paternity.\u00a0<span style=\"color: var( --e-global-color-text ); font-family: var( --e-global-typography-text-font-family ), Sans-serif; font-size: var( --e-global-typography-text-font-size ); font-style: var( --e-global-typography-text-font-style ); font-weight: var( --e-global-typography-text-font-weight );\"><a href=\"\/contact-us\/\">Call us now<\/a> to g<\/span><span style=\"color: var( --e-global-color-text ); font-family: var( --e-global-typography-text-font-family ), Sans-serif; font-size: var( --e-global-typography-text-font-size ); font-style: var( --e-global-typography-text-font-style ); font-weight: var( --e-global-typography-text-font-weight );\">et help in your paternity action case in California.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-5b508c9a elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"5b508c9a\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-7f120226\" data-id=\"7f120226\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-68f10001 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"68f10001\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Establishing Paternity in California<\/span><\/h2><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Establishing paternity means identifying who the legal parents of a child are. In most cases, the recognized legal father is the person the child&#8217;s biological mother is married to.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This means that he does not have to be the child&#8217;s biological father to be the legal father, and also the inverse &#8211; a man being a child&#8217;s biological father does not automatically make him the child&#8217;s legal father. Fatherhood is presumed by law in situations where:<\/span><\/p><ul><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">He was <\/span><b>married to the child&#8217;s mother<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> when the child was born,<\/span><\/li><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">He married the child&#8217;s mother after the child was born and agreed to have his name <\/span><b>on the child&#8217;s birth certificate<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">,<\/span><\/li><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">He married the child&#8217;s mother after the child was born and agreed to support the child,<\/span><\/li><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">He tried to marry the mother, even if the marriage was not valid, and the child was <\/span><b>born during the period they were \u201cmarried\u201d<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">,<\/span><\/li><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">And if he has always treated the child as his own and welcomed the child into his home (<\/span><b>parentage by estoppel<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">),<\/span><\/li><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A child is <\/span><b>taken in by couples in same-sex marriage<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">s,<\/span><\/li><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A child is <\/span><b>taken in by couples in a registered domestic partnership<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/li><\/ul><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Establishing paternity is important for the <\/span><b>emotional development of a child<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> because it allows them to feel that they have a father who would protect and care for them. On top of the emotional benefit, there are also <\/span><b>legal benefits<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> afforded to a child that have to be fulfilled by his father including:<\/span><\/p><ul><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The right to receive <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ssa.gov\/people\/veterans\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">social security and veterans benefits<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, if available,<\/span><\/li><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The right to receiving an inheritance,<\/span><\/li><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Life and health insurance coverage,<\/span><\/li><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Access to family medical records and history,<\/span><\/li><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Having his name in the child&#8217;s birth certificate,<\/span><\/li><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Legal documentation identifying both parents, and<\/span><\/li><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Financial support.<\/span><\/li><\/ul><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Additionally, once paternity is established, the court can then make orders regarding <\/span><a href=\"\/visitation\/\"><b>visitation rights (parenting time)<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> name changes, health insurance, <a href=\"\/child-custody-attorneys\/\">child custody<\/a>, <a href=\"\/child-support-attorneys\/\">child support<\/a>, and reimbursement for birth and pregnancy expenses.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Under circumstances where a child is not born to a married couple, that child will not have a legal father and so paternity will still have to be established. In California, this can be done in one of two ways: through signing an official <\/span><b>declaration of parentage or paternity<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> or getting a court order.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">At 805 Law Group, our paternity action lawyers in San Luis Obispo believe that children must have a family that will supply all their emotional and financial needs. That is why we are committed to making sure all children have fathers to look up to.<\/span><\/p><h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Establishing Parentage for Non-Married Couples<\/span><\/h2><div>Below are the way you can establish parentage if the parent are not married to each other.<\/div><h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Signing a Voluntary Declaration of Parentage or Paternity<\/span><\/h3><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The voluntary declaration of parentage or paternity form is a California government form that can be signed by a child&#8217;s mother as well as another parent which will then establish them both as the <\/span><a href=\"\/child-custody-attorneys\/\"><b>legal parents and guardians of the child<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Once the form is signed, you will have to file it with the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/childsupport.ca.gov\/find-my-local-agency\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">California Department of Child Support Services<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (DCSS) Parentage Opportunity Program (POP) for it to be finalized and effective.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As the name suggests, this form must be signed voluntarily by both parties with neither party being forced to do so. If signed and filed correctly, the declaration of parentage or paternity will have the same effect as a court order- legally establishing the parental relationship of the signatories and the child.<\/span><\/p><h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Getting a Court Order<\/span><\/h3><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In cases where the two parties are unwilling to sign the document or let the other sign, a court order might be necessary. This works both ways- a man who believes he is the <\/span><b>biological father of the child <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">might file a paternity action case to gain the legal recognition to be the father of the child and gain visitation and custody rights.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Or the other way around; a mother could<\/span><b> file a paternity case<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to establish as the legal father the man whom she believes is the biological father of the child. This could be done by the mother to demand support for the child.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Other individuals who could file a paternity case for a child include the child himself or his guardian to demand parental support or demand benefits including life insurance, disability, survivor, or veteran&#8217;s benefits. The department of social services and other relevant government agencies can also file a paternity case to ask for reimbursement for the public assistance spent on the child.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When filing a paternity suit, the filer would be known as the petitioner while the alleged father is known as the respondent.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Do keep in mind that a court order is not always necessary to establish a man&#8217;s paternity of a child; a paternity action suit is not necessary if:<\/span><\/p><ul><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The parents are already married or are registered domestic partners (including same-sex marriages and domestic partnerships),<\/span><\/li><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The parents are not married but have signed a voluntary declaration of parentage or paternity,<\/span><\/li><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A relevant child support entity has already filed a paternity and child support case,<\/span><\/li><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In cases of parents in a <a href=\"\/restraining-orders\/\">domestic violence-related restraining order<\/a>, if both parents agree on a child&#8217;s paternity and they both agree to the court entering a judgment about the child&#8217;s paternity.<\/span><\/li><\/ul><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Parenthood according to the law does not always follow the biological rules of parentage, which can make understanding <a href=\"\/careers\/family-law-attorney\/\">family law<\/a> confusing. If you have any concerns regarding paternity and paternity laws, don&#8217;t hesitate to talk to our <a href=\"\/san-luis-obispo-lgbt-divorce-attorneys\/\">San Luis Obispo family law attorneys<\/a> to get answers to your questions.<\/span><\/p><h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Disputing Parentage and Genetic Cases<\/span><\/h2><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When the court wants to investigate the parenthood of an individual in relation to a child, they would conduct DNA tests. DNA is the genetic material that contains your unique genetic code which can be understood to be the instructions that make you up.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Your DNA is a mixture of your parents&#8217; DNA and is unique to you such that no other person to have ever existed will have the same genetic code as you- even twins are genetically distinguishable even if they look very identical.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Since a child inherits part of his parents&#8217; DNA when he is conceived, paternity and parentage can be analyzed by collecting DNA samples from the father and the child, sequencing these samples, and comparing these samples electronically. If there is sufficient similarity between a parent&#8217;s and a child&#8217;s DNA, it should mean that that child is borne of that parent.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When conducting <\/span><b>DNA tests to establish fatherhood<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, DNA samples will be acquired from the patient by gently rubbing a sterile cotton swab on the insides of the person&#8217;s cheeks. These swabs will be then sent to a lab for testing.<\/span><\/p><h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Consult Our San Luis Obispo Paternity Action Lawyers!<\/span><\/h2><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Understanding family law is already hard in itself, dealing with legal paperwork on top of that is even harder. As <a href=\"\/\">San Luis Obispo County attorneys<\/a>, we understand how complex paternal actions and parenthood dispute cases can get, even for lawyers.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you are considering or in the process of going through a paternity action case, don&#8217;t hesitate to let our San Luis Obispo paternity action lawyers help you. We are knowledgeable on family law and, like you, want what&#8217;s best for your child and every other child.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Call us now to get help in your <\/span><a href=\"\/child-custody-attorneys\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">child custody<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, <\/span><a href=\"\/child-support-attorneys\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">child support<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, <\/span><a href=\"\/alimony-spousal-support-attorneys\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">alimony &amp; spousal support<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, <\/span><a href=\"\/divorce-attorneys\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">divorce<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, and other family law matters in San Luis Obispo and Atascadero, CA.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Paternity Action Lawyers in San Luis Obispo, CA Paternity is the status of being someone\u2019s father and establishing paternity is important to\u00a0determine who has rights and obligations towards a child. This isn\u2019t always easy because the laws concerning paternity can get complicated, so talk to one of our California paternity action lawyers to know more [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.atownlaw.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/4052"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.atownlaw.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.atownlaw.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.atownlaw.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.atownlaw.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4052"}],"version-history":[{"count":13,"href":"https:\/\/www.atownlaw.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/4052\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6346,"href":"https:\/\/www.atownlaw.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/4052\/revisions\/6346"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.atownlaw.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4052"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}