Helping You Through Sensitive Paternity And Legitimization Proceedings

Having children outside of wedlock is a commonly accepted practice nowadays. Unfortunately, unmarried parents may find themselves facing paternity and legitimization issues later on in the event of a separation. When this happens, seeking answers and an efficient and effective resolution becomes a crucial part of ensuring a child’s best interests are met.

While there may be good materials out there providing guidance on how to go through this process, nothing beats getting guidance from a skilled family law attorney.

Seeking Help From Qualified Attorneys

At Griffin Law, PLLC, we have 19 years of experience handling a range of family law issues, including those related to child custody. We understand the need for unmarried mothers and fathers to establish paternity in order to resolve issues concerning child support, inheritance rights, child custody rights and more, which is where our skill and prowess come into play.

With our firm in your corner, you are never alone in your goal to establish a legal parent-child relationship. Our lawyers and staff care about our clients, and we work hard to connect with them on these delicate and emotional family matters. You do not have to do this alone. We can help you at every turn.

What Is Legitimation?

Legitimation is the process by which a parent, typically the father, legally establishes parentage over a child that was born before marriage. In North Carolina, this process can be done through a court order or marriage of the parents. If the parents do not agree on the parentage of the child, paternity testing may be ordered to establish paternity.

How Do You Establish Paternity?

Generally, this is a process by which a man (the biological father) seeks to be recognized by the courts as a child’s legal father. This can be done in one of three ways:

• Marriage prior to the birth of the child
• Voluntary acknowledgment on the birth certificate
• Through a court order (DNA testing)

Once paternity is established by the courts, the legal father is required to assume the duties and responsibilities of being a father, which include supporting the child financially. Paternity also gives a father the right to seek a visitation and custody order.

How We Can Help You

Whether you’re a father trying to establish your parental rights so you can seek custody or visitation with your children, or you’re a mother trying to establish paternity in order to get a child support order in place, the compassionate attorney at Griffin Law, PLLC, can help.

Our family law attorney has an intimate understanding of state laws and can walk you through this process of creating a legally binding parent-child relationship in North Carolina. Hands-on and helpful, our law firm will be with you every step of the way, making sure you are taking the right course of action to resolve your legal matter.

How To Contact Us

If you are interested in learning more about your options and your legal rights, please visit our office in Statesville, contact us online or simply give us a call at office. We are here to help, and we offer consultations with an experienced lawyer.