The Court defines a child’s father/parent, as someone who has a legal right and responsibility for a child. Paternity issues can have a serious influence on various Family Law matters, like Child Support settlements, and are under the authority of New York Family Courts. Any Nassau County Paternity Lawyer can advise clients that establishing paternity can now generally be done with DNA testing, and the conclusions can be utilized in enforcing restitution of child support through an order of paternity entered against the father. Every Nassau County Family Lawyer with the law office of Stephen Bilkis & Associates, PLLC—located in Nassau County and each of New York’s boroughs including Manhattan—is accustomed to paternity issues, and they have represented men seeking to confirm they are a child’s biological father desiring to preserve a relationship with that child as well defend them against a claim of paternity. We are skilled as well in representing woman who are looking to confirm the child’s father for purposes of garnering child support.
Statewide, the New York Family Court has concurrent jurisdiction for adjudicating paternity cases—the Nassau County Family Court is found at 1200 Old Country Road, Westbury, NY 11590. Nassau County Paternity Lawyers will inform you that a writing acknowledging paternity if it is filed at the birth registrar’s office with create a valid paternity claim. However, a claim of paternity can be disputed by either party— the mother or professed father—at which time to ultimately decide the issue a judicial hearing would be necessary to determine the dispute. It is State law, thus law in Nassau County as well, the mother or professed father has the legal right to initiate a paternity case. A Judicial hearing would ensue and the Court would decide paternity in the matter. After paternity is determined, as your Nassau County Family Lawyer will explain, the Court after secondary proceeding has the authority to grant child custody (full or Joint Custody), child support, visitation, and attorney fees.
Presently, Nassau Family Attorneys realize how much scientific methods impact the management of the paternity proceedings all over NY. Tests to find genetic markers, tests to check DNA, and others—though not completely infallible in their conclusions, unless an alleged father is eliminated—are just some advances which the Family Courts rely on for direction. Nassau Family Lawyers also know that, results of 99 percent or greater in favor of paternity, may establish the presumption of paternity. This probability can be disputed by either parent. Also, your Nassau County Paternity Lawyer can advise that when the court feels performance of a DNA test is not in the child’s best interest, it won’t be allowed. This might happen if a relationship has already been established between a child and the man they know as father, but a prior infidelity has brought forth a question of paternity.
Fathers, a Nassau County Paternity Lawyer is necessary to protect your Father’s Rights. It is important to note, however, that to be automatically identified as a child’s legal father anywhere in on Long Island including Suffolk County or NY State, you must be married to the mother at birth or at some point during pregnancy. It is simple to be considered a child’s legal father—a voluntary application known as an Acknowledgment of Paternity may be completed by you and the child’s mother at birth or any time thereafter. The child support office, the birth hospital, the office of the birth registrar, or the Family Court can take the completed application and establish your Rights as Father. You must first have been declared a parent of your child to have consideration for Child Support and Visitation.
If you are trying to receive Visitation and/or Custody, or other Rights as Father, or if you need to obtain Child Support restitution from your child’s father, the New York Family Attorneys with the firm of Stephen Bilkis & Associates, PLLC have successfully resolved Family Law cases like these. From Nassau County over to Westchester County, and other boroughs in NY, come by our office for a free consultation. Call 800.696.9529 and schedule a meeting and we will get started. We are conveniently located all throughout New York City.