One of the more challenging situations in child support cases is when the paternity of the child is disputed by one of the parents. In some cases, paternity establishment is called forth when the mother’s husband disputes that he is the father of the child born during their marriage.
In most cases when the child is born in wedlock, or in cases where the parents have been in a long-term relationship, the parents often choose to acknowledge the paternity of the child during the birth of the child in the hospital itself by signing the requisite forms. In cases where the parents have not established paternity during the birth of the child, it can be done later by following the proper legal procedures.
It is a matter of pride for many men to be acknowledged as the father of their own child by having his paternity established. The child will also benefit from the acknowledgment of paternity in instances where the child is genetically disposed to a disease due to his or her heritage and lineage.
With continual increases in costs in the standards of living in the United States, it has been found that it is becoming increasingly difficult for a single-parent household to take care of one or more children alone. In such situations, it is important for the single caregiving parent to obtain child support from the non-custodial parent. Many single mothers consult with professional attorneys in order to understand their rights and to learn how to collect child support from the father of the child or children.
Source: Texas Attorney General, “Paternity,” Accessed on May 21, 2015
