Whenever a couple in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is preparing to welcome a child into the world, it can be a joyful yet busy time. Between the prenatal appointments and preparing a living space for the new addition, the couple probably have a lot on their mind. One thing the couple may have to do, if they are unmarried when the child is born, is establish the paternity of the baby. This blog post will provide a little information on the benefits of this legal process.
The Attorney General of Texas strongly recommends that unmarried parents establish the paternity of their baby. Establishing paternity creates a legal relationship between the father and child. This process is not automatic for unmarried couples, and there are many benefits for these couples if they take steps to establish the paternity of their new baby.
What are these benefits? First, it ensures that children are eligible for child support, Social Security benefits, health insurance and other benefits that the child may be entitled to through the child’s father. When paternity is established, the father’s name will appear on the baby’s birth certificate, and it will help protect the father’s parental rights if the baby’s parents later separate. There are many other benefits as well.
Although the benefits of establishing paternity are many, the particularities of doing so can be confusing. Marital status, timing, biology and other factors can all impact the paternity of a child. Not everyone is able to establish a child’s paternity early on, and this can complicate matters if the parents later separate and child support and child custody become issues. Legal help is available for parents who have questions regarding how to establish their child’s paternity.
Source: The Attorney General of Texas, “ Paternity Establishment,” accessed on Nov. 25, 2016