PATERNITY

A paternity case is a lawsuit to determine the natural and legal father of a child and to establish the rights and duties of a parent. The determination of paternity is one of great importance, since the Court cannot issue an order against the father unless the child's paternity has been established.

There are several different ways to establish whether an alleged father is the natural and legal father of the minor child. A common and accurate form of evidence include DNA testing. In DNA, testing the genetic code of the child is compared with the genetic code of the father. A comparison can be made to determine the biological father.

Normally, the party requesting a paternity test pays the initial cost of the DNA test. However, in the event that the alleged father is determined to be the biological parent, the Court has the ability to order the party to reimburse the costs of the paternity test based upon the results. In most instances, once paternity is established, the mother is entitled to receive child support and the father is entitled to timesharing with the child.

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