Men's Issues - Paternity

Paternity

To establish paternity is to legally determine the father of a child if the child's parents were not married to each other at the time of the birth. When paternity is in question, a proceeding can be initiated by either party, and is established by DNA testing. A paternity test requires a blood sample to obtain the genetic material necessary to determine parentage. The results take from four to six weeks.

When paternity has been established, the courts will determine the allocation of parental responsibilities, which encompasses decision-making responsibilities and parenting time based on the best interests of the minor children. Colorado courts generally rule in favor of having both parents involved in the upbringing of the child, so regardless of which parent has primary custody, both the mother and father are usually awarded parenting time. Additionally, the parent with whom the child does not live most of the time is required to pay child support. In paternity cases where child support has not been established prior the birth of the child , the father may be required to pay part of the costs associated with child raising even though many of the expenses have already been paid by the mother and may span over a period of years.

The 10 family law attorneys at The Harris Law Firm have all represented mothers and fathers in paternity actions, and will work with you to promote the best interests of your children while helping you to maintain a healthy and respectful relationship with your child’s other parent.

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