Paternity can be legally defined as a state of being the father of a child. Issues of paternity, which fall under jurisdiction of the New York Family Courts, obviously can have a tremendous impact on many types of Family Law matters, most notably when you're trying to settle Child Support or Custody. Any Bronx Paternity Lawyer will inform his/her client that DNA testing these days is used typically for establishing paternity, and then utilized when a paternity order is being entered against the child's father in an effort to enforce payment of child support. At the law firm of Stephen Bilkis & Associates, PLLC, every Bronx Family Lawyer with our offices—located not just in the Bronx but in the other boroughs as well—many years of experience with these types of cases, additionally with representing fathers wishing to establish that they are the biological father of a child in an effort to maintain their relationship with the child or defend them against paternity allegations, in addition to women looking to get confirmation of paternity to establish a child support case.
All over New York State, inclusive of Westchester County & Long Island, paternity establishment is generally handled in the Family Court system--the Bronx Family Court can be found at 900 Sheridan Ave., Bronx 10451. A Bronx Paternity Lawyer can inform you that an acknowledgment in writing can establish paternity, which is to be filed with the office of the birth registrar. When either parent denies paternity status—either the alleged father or the mother—a proceeding has to be held so it can be decided. In the Bronx, just like Suffolk County and Nassau County, either the mother or the alleged father can initiate a paternity proceeding. The Paternity question at that time will be established through a judicial hearing. Then, once paternity is determined, your Bronx Family Lawyer and Bronx Divorce Lawyer understands that the authority to award attorney fees, visitation rights, and child support, lies with the court.
New York Family Lawyers know how a scientific method can have an important impact on how proceedings to establish paternity are handled all across our area. Advances like DNA tests, tests for genetic markers, and others—while they might not be absolutely conclusive, except when excluding an alleged father—have substantial weight with the Family Court. Your Family Attorney understands that, a test that gives results of 99 percent or greater likelihood of paternity, the assumption of paternity can be established. Either party may challenge this. Additionally, a Bronx Paternity Lawyer will tell you that, there are some instances in which the court's opinion is that it is not in the best interests of a child to have a DNA test, so undergoing the test might not be permitted. This could happen, if the child has already established a relationship with who he/she knows as father, and he has been made aware of a previous infidelity, and thereby has doubt that he is the child's father.
If you're a father, your Bronx Paternity Lawyer can help safeguard your Rights as Father. You should know, however, that there is no presumption you are the legal father of a child in any part of New York if you aren't married to the child's mother at the time of birth. Becoming the child's legal father is easy—a voluntary Acknowledgment of Paternity form just has to be filled out any time following the child's birth by you and the mother. Some places this form can be completed are the hospital, a child support office, Family Court, or in the birth registrar's office, then your Father’s Rights will be established. You can't request custody or even visitation if you first haven't been established as one of the parents. Any Family Lawyer can also tell you that, if anyone was married to the child’s mother when the child was born or any part throughout the pregnancy, paternity is presumed to the husband and thus the father. Any other allegation of paternity for any other party must then be established in court.
Whether trying to secure your Father’s Rights to have Custody and/or Visitation, or if you need to acquire a Child Support order from your child’s/children’s dad, the Family Lawyers with Stephen Bilkis & Associates, PLLC are highly skilled in helping you resolve your Family Law case. From the Bronx to Queens, or any Borough or County, please visit us for a free consultation of your case. Call 800.696.9529 right away and get started by arranging to meet in any of our conveniently situated offices throughout New York City and Long Island.