How is paternity established?
Paternity can be established as follows: • The father can voluntarily acknowledge paternity of the child immediately after the birth of the child in the birthing hospital. Hospital records staff have been trained to explain the voluntary process and answer any questions parents may have. A videotape entitled “The power of Two” is shown to the parents informing them of their rights and responsibilities. Parents are also provided pamphlets and a statement to read. They may sign “An Affidavit of Paternity” adding the father’s name to the child’s birth certificate provided it is done voluntarily and without coercion. They may also choose the child’s last name, provided the mother is not married to someone else. • The father can voluntarily acknowledge paternity at the Office of Child Support Services. The same process that is followed in the hospital is followed at the office. The parents view the videotape, read the Statement of Rights and Responsibilities and sign the Affidavit of Patern
In Oregon there are several ways paternity is established by law: “If a child is born during marriage the husband is presumed to be the father. “If a child is born and the parents later marry, they can sign a notarized Voluntary Acknowledgment of Paternity form to be filed with the state. “If an unmarried father agrees to paternity both parents can sign a Voluntary Acknowledgment of Paternity at the hospital or birthing center when the child is born, or both can sign a notarized Voluntary Acknowledgment of Paternity after the child is born. The fathers name is then added to the birth certificate. “When there is no agreement on paternity either the mother, the father or the state of Oregon can establish paternity through court proceedings. How is paternity usually proven? Genetic, or DNA, testing is most often done, and it is the most accurate method of determining the biological father of the child. Genetic testing will state how likely it is that you are or are not the father. If you
The first step is to gather the facts at the paternity interview. Due to the sensitive nature of paternity establishment, some of the questions during the interview may be personal. These questions will be facts about the relationship between the mother and the alleged father, the pregnancy, the birth of the child, your employment and birth expenses. A picture of the alleged father with the child is helpful as well as any other evidence of acknowledgment of the child, such as through letters or gifts. Before a child support order can be established for a child, the alleged father must either admit or be proven to be the child’s father. A popular and effective tool used to prove paternity is genetic testing. Our office prepares all of the necessary paperwork and legal documents and handles all of the scheduling for blood-testing when the alleged father requests or when ordered by thejudge. The father can acknowledge his paternity by signing a written admission or consent agreement. Whil
If the father and mother were not married at the time of the child’s birth, an administrative or court order naming the legal father establishes paternity. The alleged father may voluntarily admit that he is the father of the child. In cases where he does not admit paternity, a court hearing and/or paternity tests can be scheduled. Paternity tests examine the genetic markers of the mother, alleged father, and the child. The paternity tests will either indicate the likelihood of paternity or exclude the alleged father from paternity. The alleged father must pay for the costs of the paternity tests. If the alleged father is excluded from paternity, the CP may be required to pay for the tests. Child Support Calculator Visit our Child Support Calculator to see how much child support may be ordered in your case. How much child support will be ordered? The amount of child support will be based on the South Carolina Child Support Guidelines. The Guidelines consider the income of both parents
