When it comes to paternity, there are a number of issues that affect fathers as well as their children. The establishment of paternity may affect an individual’s visitation rights or the financial well-being of a child. In Belleville, Illinois, and across the nation, there are a number of different ways that paternity is established, such as DNA testing or the signing of an acknowledgement of paternity form. Sometimes, paternity is automatically presumed and it is important for some fathers, mothers and children to understand how the presumption of paternity may have an impact on them.
According to the Child Welfare Information Gateway, there are a number of circumstances in which paternity is presumed. For example, if a man was married to the mother of a child at the time of the child’s birth, there is a presumption of paternity. Additionally, paternity is presumed even if the marriage between the child’s parents was declared invalid. Also, a man’s paternity is presumed if he marries a child’s mother after the child is born and the man consents to being named on the child’s birth certificate.
The Illinois General Assembly also provides useful information that may help a presumed father. For example, if a man was married to a woman when a child was born but he is not the child’s biological father, he may sign a denial of paternity form. Furthermore, parents also have the ability to sign a rescission of parentage form, which makes the presumption of paternity legally null and void.
