Paternity or Parentage cases are family law matters which involve parties who have a child(ren) together and are not married. Paternity issues often involve custody, visitation, child support and, if applicable, domestic violence restraining orders.

How is Paternity Determined in California?

Paternity refers to the biological relationship between a child and a father, and unlike maternity which is established at birth, it is not always easy to tell who the real father of a child is. In some situations, the paternity of a father can be challenged, and in these cases legal action may become necessary.

Paternity can affect such things as:
Child Custody
Child Support
Visitation Rights

Paternity actions are taken to determine who the biological father of a child is. Most often, paternity is called into question for financial or custodial reasons. If you are not the biological father of a child, you may not be entitled to continue paying child support, and your custody and visitation arrangements may need to be amended. In order to determine paternity, the courts will sometimes order a paternity test to legally establish a biological relationship, or in some cases to reveal the lack thereof. Once the test results are identified, your lawyer will take whatever actions are necessary next to resolve the situation.

It is important to have representation from an experienced Los Angeles family law attorney until the matter is resolved. Contact us today!