Paternity
Paternity in Tampa
Paternity is the legal relationship between a father and his biological or adopted child(ren). This area of law deals with a father’s and his child(ren)’s rights and obligations to each other as well as to others. A man who is legally established to be a child’s father is held accountable for his share of support and responsibility. If the father is unwilling to support the child voluntarily, he can be compelled to do so after a successful paternity suit. If the child was born out of wedlock and the mother wishes to give the child up for adoption, she will be unable to do so when the father asserts paternity and refuses his consent. A father claiming paternity also gains custody and visitation rights to the child.
Paternity Solutions
The attorneys of Open Palm Law have successfully represented both men and women in paternity actions. Whether it is helping a father acquire rights to his child, or assisting a mother in getting financial assistance from her child’s father, Open Palm Law is sympathetic to the sensitive issues involved in paternity disputes. Let them help you with your paternity dispute.
FAQs for Paternity
Can I ask for a paternity test if the mother claims another boyfriend is the father?
Only certain specified persons have legal standing to request a court-ordered paternity test. These include the mother of the child or expected child and a person alleging that he is the biological father of the child or expected child.
My ex claims that I am the father of her baby, but I do not believe that I am. What can I do?
Volunteer to take a scientific paternity test.
How do I establish paternity?
If you are married to your baby’s mother, you need not do anything to establish paternity. If you are not married, you and the mother can sign a legal document acknowledging that you are the father. If there is a dispute as to whether you are the father, you may need to get a court order legally establishing you as the father or ordering you to take a genetic paternity test. If you marry the mother, you will need to update the birth certificate to list you as the father.
I am married, and I recently learned that I am not the father of the baby that my wife had during our marriage. How do I disestablish paternity?
If you are already listed on the birth certificate or are planning to stay married, you may find it hard to convince a judge to disestablish paternity. If you divorce, if you never acknowledged paternity and were never listed on the birth certificate, and if the mother agrees, then paternity may be disestablished.
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CLIENT TESTIMONIALS
“Joryn was simply amazing. Her supporting, consistent, honest, and most importantly – productive – approach was exactly what I needed to get through the process. A court trial was imminent if we did not have a successful mediation (the third one!), and no other attorney was able to focus the entire team like Joryn.”Danielle, January 2016
ABOUT JORYN
JORYN JENKINS | FOUNDING PARTNER,
TRIAL ATTORNEY, COLLABORATIVE ATTORNEY
Open Palm in Tampa, Florida is proud to present our firm’s founder, Joryn Jenkins. Please take a moment to read about her qualifications to assist you. We also invite you to view her resume.
In the beginning, Ms. Jenkins worked for one of the ten largest law firms in the country in its Washington, D.C. office. After nearly three years practicing in all aspects of regulatory law, she took a break from big firm life to work exclusively for one of her own clients on a class action involving more than fifty sex discrimination claims in California. When she returned to the East Coast, she accepted an offer from the state attorney in Tampa, E.J. Salcines (now an appellate judge). CONTINUE READING…