Child Visitation, Legitimation and Paternity

When a couple who is legally married in the state of Alabama have children there is no question about the rights and responsibilities of the father. His status as a parent is inherent, so if the couple was to get divorced at some point in time he would not have to prove in his paternity. People who have children outside of wedlock are in a different situation, and the matter of paternity is something that these individuals must pro-actively address.

In many cases both of the parents agree on the paternity of the father and are perfectly willing to do what is necessary to legally record his parentage. The way that this is usually done is through the execution of an Acknowledgment of Paternity document. The parties can obtain this form right at the hospital or birthing center and fill it out and file it there if they so choose.

However, they can also do so at a later date after leaving the hospital until the child reaches the majority age, which in the state of Alabama is 19. It should be noted that paternity can also be established by the process of legitimation, which is when the parents of child simply get married and the father embraces the child as his own.

In days gone by, when there was a paternity dispute it was difficult to prove the parentage of the father with absolute certainty. But in the current era of genetic testing parentage can be proven with statistical certainty, and testing can be ordered by the court or through an administrative order in the state of Alabama. The mother of a child who is seeking child support from the alleged father is often the party who initiates the action, but men seeking visitation rights can and do attempt to prove their parentage as well.

If you are interested in child visitation, legitimation, and paternity from a legal perspective, contact a Mobile AL family attorney to arrange for a free consultation.