There are many reasons for wanting to legally recognize the parentage of a child. If you are the father, and your child is born out of wedlock, you will need to establish paternity to have parental rights granted and enforced. This will enable you to build a relationship with your child. Similarly, if you are the mother, you can pursue the establishment of paternity in order to seek legal arrangements such as child support from your child’s father. In such cases, it can be helpful for you and your family to understand the different ways in which paternity is defined under Illinois state law, and how establishing paternity can factor into your unique situation.
We discussed paternity and some basic paternity guidelines in an earlier post, which you may find helpful. As we mentioned in that article, one common way that paternity is established simply involves the confirming of the identity of the presumed father by you and the other parent. No DNA testing is typically required in cases where you both agree upon your relationship to the child in question.
In Illinois, paternity rights can also be established by submitting a form known as the acknowledgment of paternity document. If you were involved with a married woman or you are married and your husband is not the child’s father, you should be aware that the law still automatically grants paternal rights to the husband, regardless of your relationship status at the time of the baby’s conception. The state can also extend paternal rights to men identified as fathers through the use of DNA testing.
Ultimately, you and your family have several options for establishing the legal paternity of your child. Feel free to visit our page on paternity rights today to learn more.