How Do You Legally Terminate Paternity Rights?
Establishing paternity of a child can be done, even if you are not the biological father. If a father wants to take legal responsibility for a child that is not biologically his, he may do so. This usually happens in the event of a child born during a marriage that isn’t biologically the husband’s. However, once paternity rights have been established, they can be difficult to terminate, especially if the father does not want to terminate his paternity rights. Step 1 File a petition to terminate paternity rights in your family court. The petition must contain information specific to your jurisdiction (state). It can help to consult an experienced attorney when filing this petition. If you decide to proceed without an attorney, consult your local laws as to what is required to initiate a paternity termination action in your state. Step 2 Serve the paternity action on the father. Most states require that “best efforts” must be made to serve a paternity action on the father. If the father
