Unless it is proven otherwise, a husband is considered to be the father of a child born during the marriage. If parents are not married, it is important that paternity be legally established, so that the child has a legal father. There are many benefits if paternity is established.
Children have the right to know who their mother and father are.
Additionally, a father that has been legally proven to be the biological parent of a child has an obligation to support that child. In order to receive such support, paternity must be legally established. A child may be able to obtain medical insurance from a father once paternity is established. If paternity is established early in a child's life, a father may be more likely to continue to support his child until that child becomes an adult. If paternity is not established, a father may deny it and cause an expensive and time consuming process which may result in a child not feeling loved.