Spokane Paternity Lawyer

How Paternity Is Established in Washington State

A “legal” father is not always necessarily a child’s biological father. In the case of an unmarried father, either he or the child’s mother may pursue legal action to establish paternity which will give him legal rights, responsibilities, and obligations. Without establishing paternity, an unmarried biological father essentially has no legal rights in regards to his child.

Ways to Establish Paternity or Parentage in Washington

• Presumption
• Acknowledgment
• Paternity (or parentage) action

When a child is born to married parents or domestic partners, it is presumed that both individuals are the legal parents. If a child is born to parents who are not married or in a legal domestic partnership, then the child has only one legal parent which is the mother. In the situation of an unmarried father, his paternity can be legally acknowledged at the time of the birth through signing a notarized acknowledgment. This is a voluntary establishment of paternity. It is often done in the hospital at the time of the birth.

Should either party dispute a child’s paternity or parentage, a paternity (or parentage) action can be filed in a state court to determine the matter. This requires court action due to the dispute. It may be filed by a mother who is in pursuit of justified child support or a father or other parent seeking custody or visitation rights.

To learn more, call a Spokane paternity attorney at (509) 402-2248 today.