Establishing or disputing paternity is often the first step in resolving custody, visitation, child support, and other parental rights questions. A paternity test can be requested voluntarily or ordered by the court, and may be sought by the mother, the father, a man asserting paternity, the child, or in some cases a relative acting on the child’s behalf.
What this can involve
- Establishment or disestablishment of paternity (DNA testing)
- Fathers’ rights, time-sharing, and child support
- Department of Revenue actions and name changes
- Adoption, legal guardianship, and parental relocation