Paternity

Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, Paternity Lawyers

The legal consequences of paternity are important for fathers interested in asserting their parental rights as well as for mothers who want to collect child support. When paternity is challenged or a final determination of paternity is sought, the court will likely order a DNA test. Once paternity is established, fathers can assert visitation and custody rights and mothers can demand child support payments for their children. At the law office of The Law Office of Marc Shelowitz and Andrew Coffey, our family law attorneys prepare and file all necessary paperwork dealing with paternity. We ensure our client's compliance with court requirements for paternity proceedings. Once paternity is established, we help clients assert their parental rights (including seeking custody or visitation) or initiate child support payments.

If you are interested in establishing the paternity of your children in order to assert parental rights or parental obligations, contact family law attorneys at The Law Office of Marc Shelowitz and Andrew Coffey today and schedule a free consultation to discuss your case.

The Financial and Legal Importance of Establishing Paternity

Once paternity is established and recognized by the court, the following financial and legal benefits for children come into play:

• Right to receive child support
• Health coverage under father's health plan
• Inheritance rights
• Legal rights during probate
• Beneficiary of father's Social Security disability and death benefits
• Dependency status for tax purposes and student financial aid
• Right to access father's medical records for relevant information

The Parental Rights of Fathers

For fathers, paternity confers the following rights in regard to children:

• Fathers can demand and establish a visitation schedule with their children
• In cases where a mother is unfit or has passed away, a father can seek custody of his children
• If a mother attempts to give her children up for adoption, a father can challenge the adoption

Child Support and Paternity

Fathers are legally obligated to pay child support once paternity is determined. Depending on the age of the children and the financial situation of the custodial parent, the court may order a father to pay back-owed child support. If child support is not timely paid, the court can garnish wages, seize bank accounts, even send fathers to jail. However, mothers need to remember that once they establish paternity to collect child support, the father also has a legal right to visitation or custody.

Contact Paternity Lawyers at The Law Office of Marc Shelowitz and Andrew Coffey Today.

If you have questions regarding paternity, how to go about mandating a DNA paternity test, or the legal rights of fathers, contact the family law attorneys at The Law Office of Marc Shelowitz and Andrew Coffey today and schedule a free consultation.