ESTABLISHING PATERNITY IN FLORIDA
Children deserve to have a legal father. When you establish paternity, you identify the legal father of the child. Paternity gives rights and benefits to the mother, the father, and the child.
Some of the rights and benefits of the child are:
- Information on family medical history.
- The child will know his or her biological father.
- The father’s name will be on the birth certificate.
- Health or life insurance from either parent will be available.
- Support from both parents, like child support and medical support.
- Get Social Security or veteran’s benefits, military allowances, and inheritances.
- Paternity will give both parents the legal right to get a child support order, and to get a court order for shared time with the child.
Does your child have a legal father?
- A child born to parents that are married to each other has a legal father. Married parents and their children get all the rights and benefits listed above.
- A child does not have a legal father if the mother is not married when the child is born. Paternity has to be established for the child.
How do I establish paternity for the child?
- At birth in the hospital.
- If both parents are married when the child is born, paternity is established without having to take any action, whatsoever.
- Zero-18 years by legitimization or acknowledgment.
- If the mother is unmarried when the child is born, but later marries the child’s father, paternity can be established when applying for a marriage license.
- Zero-18 years by court order. If paternity has not been established, another way is with a legal court order.
