How do unmarried parents establish paternity?
• Signing a voluntary form called an Acknowledgment of Paternity (available from hospitals, local district child support offices, and local birth registrars); and • Filing a court petition to have the court determine paternity. What if there is doubt as to the identity of the biological father? If there is any doubt as to the identity of the biological father, do not sign a voluntary Acknowledgment of Paternity form. If this is the situation, it is best to let the court determine paternity. When the matter goes to court, the court will order the mother, child, and alleged father to submit to certain genetic or DNA tests. Based on the results of the test, the court will determine whether the alleged father is the legal father of the child. If the alleged father is shown to be the biological father, the court will issue an order that says he is the legal father of the child. This is called an order of filiation. After the order of filiation is issued, either party can pursue seeking an o
