In Florida, when a child is born to parents who are not married, the father’s paternity must be established by the Court prior to the Father exercising parental rights to recognize him as the legal father of the child. This can be done by filing a Petition to Determine Paternity with a Florida Family Law Court. An unmarried mother may also file a paternity action with the Department of Revenue strictly for the purposes of obtaining child support from the father of her child.
A Father’s Rights in the Family Courts
A father’s paternity can be established in several ways, including by acknowledgment of the mother and father or genetic (DNA) testing ordered by the Court. Even if a father’s name is included on a child’s birth certificate, he may still need to have his paternity established by the Court.
Once a father’s legal paternity is established, he may be given the same rights and benefits as a father who had been married to the mother. He may be awarded timesharing with the child, and can be awarded child support or ordered to pay child support.
The attorneys at Fletcher & Phillips are experienced with handling all types of Paternity cases and assisting with the related issues. If you have any questions, please contact our Jacksonville family law office at 904- 353-7733.