A parent-child relationship may exist regardless of the marital status of the parents.  However, in Minnesota, if the parents are not married at the time of the child’s conception or birth, the biological mother will have sole custody, by statute, until paternity or custody has been established in a separate proceeding.
Once a father’s paternity has been recognized or established, he may petition for rights of custody or parenting time.  Upon such a petition, the proceeding is treated as an initial determination of custody for that child.  No heightened evidentiary burdens apply to either party.  The fact that the parents of the child are not or were never married is not determinative of the custody of the child.