According to statistics the number of children living without their father has hit 19.7 million. It is also a fact that there are a couple of fathers that would want to be in their kids’ life even as much as there is the ‘deadbeat dad’ stereotype. There are also dads who find it hard to gain custody of their child buy proving paternity while there are those that are not aware that they have children. It could be because of the non-compliant mothers that are around. The following fathers’ rights are which one needs to be aware of to ease the struggle of them getting custody of their children.
If one suspects that the kid in question is his, then it is vital that the paternity is first established. An individual is obliged to take care of the child once it is proven that he is the father. DNA testing should be conducted for an individual to get proof pf paternity. For a DNA testing to be done, then it could be because one is willing to have it done or it could be because it is a requirement by the court. It is relevant for an individual to know that they have responsibilities to take care of towards the child as much as they do have existing rights.
Secondly, an individual need to know that it is essential for them to sign the recognition of percentage document. It is a document that requires a signature from two unmarried parents. A merit that is associated with the recognition of percentage document is that going to court will then not be a necessity. This is because the name of the father will appear in the birth certificate and thus means that he has legal responsibilities to the child that he needs to uphold.
Finally, an undeniable truth about the recognition of percentage document, however, is that it does not mention on the custodial rights of the child. With the document not stating this, then it is essential that both the parents go to court for them to have a paternity adjudication. Among the things that the court will have a ruling on is the medical support, the child support, custody and also the legal name that the child will have. It is advisable for a father to consider hiring a lawyer. With the presence of the lawyer, then an individual is able to deal with the non-compliant other party. Getting a lawyer online is much advised even though the court provides an individual with one. It is also important for an individual to settle for a lawyer who has a specialty in unmarried fathers’ rights. Basically, there is the need for a father to be knowledgeable of their rights.