If you and the mother or father of your child are going through divorce or separation, you may need to establish parentage if you have not already done so before the courts can rule on child visitation, custody and support. If you were not married when the child was born, parentage is not assumed. Instead, you and the other person will need to establish parentage, either through voluntarily signing the correct forms or through other means, such as DNA tests.
Establishing parentage is critical for child visitation and support. Without establishing parentage, the other parent will have no legal ties to your child or obligations to you as a co-parent. The other parent will not owe you child support after separation, for instance, if the courts do not recognize him or her as the child’s parent. You will have no grounds on which to force the other parent to pay child support until you establish parentage. It is important for your child’s future and financial wellbeing, therefore, to establish parentage before dealing with a separation or divorce case in Los Angeles.
If you are the parent whose parentage is not established, you will need to do so to have any rights to custody or visitation with your child. Without establishing yourself legally as the child’s mother or father, you will not have a right to see your child post-separation or divorce. Once you establish parentage, however, the courts may grant you visitation and/or joint custody over your child. Your ex-spouse will not be able to keep you from seeing your child in this case. If he or she tries, you will have the power to take your ex to court to enforce a visitation order.