Quality Representation for Unmarried Parents
While most people understand child support, custody and time-sharing in terms of the divorce process, parents who were not married at the time a child was born have the same rights to seek these things on behalf of their children.
As the relationship ends for unmarried parents, both the Mother and Father must understand the importance of a paternity determination. Mothers should know that although a Father’s name may not appear on a child’s birth certificate, the Father may have the right to have it added. Fathers need to know that they must fill out the Florida Putative Father Registry form in order to start the process of establishing your rights. (Click here to download the form.) Before either parent can receive child support, a court-ordered DNA test may be required to identify the biological Father. The Florida Department of Revenue (DOR) can assist parents in obtaining paternity establishment and child support awards at no cost. However, the DOR may incorrectly calculate child support because it fails to partake in certain discovery practices to determine the accuracy of the parties’ incomes and parents could receive less or must pay more than required by law. Furthermore, the DOR lacks the jurisdiction to represent parents on other issues involving custody, timesharing, residence of the child and relocation. Parents must hire an independent attorney to fight for these additional rights. If you are an unmarried parent involved in a DOR action or just beginning the paternity process, contact our firm to learn how you can save time and money by avoiding DOR action and start your case off on the right foot.
We compassionately help with all aspects of the unmarried parenting law process, including:
Unmarried parents must understand the myths surrounding a Mother’s “superior” rights over a Father’s rights in paternity cases.
If unmarried mothers fail to educate themselves on Florida custody laws, you could lose your rights. At McGwier Family Law, we will educate both Mothers and Fathers on the process of paternity actions so you can protect your rights. Contact our firm today for a free consultation and learn more about protecting yourselves before taking action based on incorrect assumptions that could potentially harm your case.
Contact McGwier Family Law, to get an experienced lawyer who understands the law surrounding parenting time and child support for unmarried parents.