Pasco County, Florida Paternity Lawyer

Consulting with an experienced paternity lawyer is the first step to establishing legal paternity. Wendy Doyle Palumbo is here to provide advice, counsel, and legal representation in your paternity case. Whether you are a father wishing to establish paternity to enjoy your parental rights or one who has been named in a paternity lawsuit, our firm is here to fight for your rights. If you are a single mother who would like to establish paternity to obtain a legal, binding custody order and child support, call our office promptly for an initial consultation. Florida law requires that both parents provide financial support to their children, and Wendy understands the financial hardships of parents who have been forced to carry that financial burden alone. No matter your situation, we are on your side.

Do You Need to Hire a Paternity Lawyer?

Although it’s not necessary to hire a family law lawyer to establish paternity in Florida, discussing your options with family law attorney Wendy Doyle-Palumbo is a good idea. Establishing paternity will begin the process of establishing legal custody and time-sharing and child support by order of the courts.

Hiring a Pasco County, Florida family lawyer is generally recommended and highly beneficial. It will ensure that your rights are protected under Florida Law while helping you meet your goals.

Establishing Paternity in Florida

There are five ways to establish paternity in the State of Florida. They are as follows:

• Marriage: The parents are married to each other when the child is born
• Acknowledgment of Paternity: The unmarried couple signs a legal document in the hospital when the child is born, or later
• Administrative Order Based on Genetic Testing: Paternity is ordered if a genetic test proves fatherhood
• Court Order: A judge orders paternity in court
• Legitimization: The mother and natural father get married to each other after the child is born and update the birth record through the Florida Office of Vital Statistics

Unmarried Fathers’ Parental Rights in Florida

There are many reasons to legally establish paternity in Florida. Not only is legitimization important to a child, but as the biological father of a child when you are unmarried, it is a necessary step in the process of establishing your legal, parental rights.

In Florida, if you are an unmarried person who has biologically fathered a child or children, and if you have not signed a legal document in the hospital when your child was born, you can get a court to issue an order of paternity, or you can have an administrative order based on genetic testing.

Unmarried Fathers – Are You Going to Be a New Dad?

If you are unmarried and the child has not been born yet, it is oftentimes recommended that you sit down with a family law attorney to discuss your options, especially if there are any concerns or doubts about paternity. Once you have acknowledged that you are the legal father of any child, you would have to disestablish paternity if you come to believe you are not. In the meantime, you would still be financially liable to the child.

Unmarried Mothers Establishing Paternity & Receiving Child Support

If you are an unmarried mother and you know who the biological father of your child is, you will most likely wish to file for child support and child custody and a time-sharing order. In the State of Florida, children are entitled by law to financial support from both parents, regardless of marital status. Many mothers fear establishing paternity because they assume Florida has a presumption of 50/50 timesharing. This is a myth and sitting down with Attorney Doyle-Palumbo will help you to determine the best course of action.

How Can Children Benefit By Establishing Paternity in Florida?

Children can almost always benefit from having a record of who their biological fathers are, even if the father wishes not to be regularly involved. Having access to information such as the medical history of the father and his family may be needed at some point in the child’s life. Aside from that, in most cases, children are overall better off when they can have a healthy, loving, and supportive relationship with both parents. If you are an unmarried biological father of a child in Florida and have questions about child custody or time-sharing please contact Wendy Doyle-Palumbo for an initial consultation.

Contact a Florida Paternity Lawyer

Establishing paternity in Florida may seem easy, but there are many legal ramifications in doing so, especially if you are unrepresented by a lawyer. Wendy Doyle-Palumbo is located in Hudson, Florida, and helps parents and divorcing couples who need a family law attorney in Pasco County and throughout Florida, and if you need an aggressive, experienced divorce and family law attorney, you’re in the right place. Contact a paternity lawyer today.