Brooklyn Paternity

Paternity can be defined for legal purposes as being a father of child. Paternity issues, while under jurisdiction of New York Supreme Court and New York Family Courts, certainly can have a serious impact on various Family Law matters, particularly when you are working to settle Child Support. Any Brooklyn Paternity Lawyer can inform his/her client establishing paternity is typically done with DNA testing, and the test results are entered as evidence of paternity and ultimately used to enforce a child support order against the father. Every Brooklyn Family Lawyer and Brooklyn Divorce Lawyer at Stephen Bilkis & Associates, PLLC is highly skilled handling issues involving these cases, as well as representing fathers hoping to be the biological father of a child so they can maintain a relationship with their child or defending allegations of same or mothers trying to confirm paternity in hopes of making a child support claim.

All across New York State, along with Westchester County or Long Island, the Family Court system usually handles the establishment of paternity—the Brooklyn Family Court is found at 330 Jay Street, Brooklyn, NY 11201. A Brooklyn Paternity Lawyer can advise you that filing an acknowledgment in writing with the birth registrar can establish paternity. If either parent denies status of paternity—the alleged father or mother—a proceeding will have to be held to make the determination. In Brooklyn, consistent with Suffolk County and Nassau County, the mother or alleged father can start a proceeding for paternity. At that time, the Paternity question will be determined through a judicial hearing. Then, once paternity has been established, your Brooklyn Family Lawyer is aware that the court has authority to award attorney fees, child support, child custody and visitation rights.

Today’s Family Lawyers understand the important impact a scientific method can have on how proceedings for establishing paternity are managed all through our area. Advances such as tests of DNA, genetic marker tests, and more—while the conclusions may not be absolute, except to exclude an alleged father—carry substantial weight in Family Court. Brooklyn Family Attorneys understand that, a test with an outcome of the likelihood of paternity of 99 percent or greater, can establish a presumption of paternity. Either mother or father may challenge this. Additionally, a Brooklyn Paternity Lawyer can tell you that, there instances the court is of the opinion is that it is not in the child’s best interests for a DNA test to be done, so a test may not be permitted. This situation could happen, if a child has an established relationship already with who he or she knows as father, and a previous infidelity has raised the question of who the child’s father is.

Fathers, you need a Brooklyn Paternity Lawyer to help guard your Rights as the Father of your child. Be advised, however, that you will not be presumed as a child’s legal father anywhere in New York if not married to the mother of the child at birth. Becoming the legal father of a child is easy—a voluntary Acknowledgment of Paternity form can be completed any time after the child's birth by the mother and yourself. This form can be completed at a child support office, the hospital, in the birth registrar's office, or Family Court for your Rights as Father to be established. Visitation and custody cannot even be requested if you haven't been first established to be a parent of the child. Any Family Attorney can inform you that, the court will make a presumption as a matter of law if the child’s mother was married while pregnant or when the child was born that the husband is the legal father.

Whether you are attempting to get Custody and/or Visitation, or if you want the child’s father to pay Child Support, Family Attorneys with Stephen Bilkis & Associates, PLLC are experienced handling paternity matters as well as other Family Law matters. From Brooklyn to the Bronx, and the other boroughs, we welcome your visit for a free case evaluation. Please call 800.696.9529 today and arrange a meeting at any office, conveniently situated throughout New York City, to get started.