Paternity

Paternity Court

The court must determine the paternity of the father to be able to make the best choices for a child. This allows the court to determine child support, residential schedules, among many other things.

The paternity of the child is often agreed upon by both the mother and father. This makes establishing paternity a simple matter of signing some documents.

When a married couple has a child, the husband is considered the father. They can petition to have that changed if they can prove that they are not the biological father.

Paternity Testing

Sometimes there is a question of the paternity of a child. If so, it’s important for the mother or presumed father to have this issue settled. They can choose to move forward with a divorce or other legal proceedings, such as establishing paternity. If necessary, the courts may order a DNA test be performed to test whether the man in question is the legal father.

Establishing Paternity

Establishing who the parent of the child is will impact most other steps in a divorce, separation, or other proceedings. It is important to get this step completed as soon as possible. Contact us to discuss your options and begin the process of establishing paternity in the state of Washington.