Generally speaking, there are two primary reasons for asserting paternity:
- An unmarried father is interested in having a future relationship with a child he believes to be his
- An unmarried mother wants the father to share in the responsibilities of raising the child
In either case, it’s important to establish paternity. The easiest way of doing so is with DNA testing, as this will make it clear as to whether or not the man is the father of the child. Even with this opportunity on the table, there are other ways to establish paternity:
- Both individuals agree that the man is the father
- The man was married to the child’s mother when it was conceived or born
- Requesting that the man’s name appears on the birth certificate
- Receiving an order of paternity from the Illinois Department of Public Aid
While establishing paternity is easy enough for some people, as both individuals are more than willing to cooperate, this is not always the case. It’s always possible that one person won’t want to move forward in the appropriate manner.
At our law firm, we have many years of experience with asserting paternity. From arranging testing to the completion of the necessary forms, there are many steps to take.
If you come to the conclusion that asserting paternity is something you need to do, there is no point in waiting any longer. The process can be full of twists and turns, not to mention a bit of stress, but it’s better than sitting back and hoping that things work out over the long run.
