Why should legal paternity be established if the father has no money to support the child?
When the father gets older and starts working, he will be able to support the child. Having paternity established legally, even if the order for support is delayed, means collecting child support will be easier later. My baby’s father lives out of State. Can I still have paternity established? Yes, you can. If the baby was conceived in your State, or the father used to live there, your State can claim “long arm” jurisdiction over him, and require that he appear for paternity establishment. If your State cannot claim jurisdiction, the CSE Agency can petition the State where he lives to establish paternity. Your caseworker will be able to tell you what needs to be done in your case. What happens after paternity is established? If it becomes necessary to establish a child support order, a CSE caseworker may discuss the child’s needs with the father and what he is required to pay for child support according to the State guidelines. The court may also include at this time the exact terms of
