Establishing Paternity Helps Protect A Parent’s Rights

Every child deserves the care and support of two parents. If your child’s paternity is in question, talk to an attorney about establishing legal paternity. At at Abbott, Abbott & Logan, PC in Georgia, we help mothers and fathers with questions about paternity and paternity tests.

How To Establish Paternity

With advances in DNA science, a positive paternity test result is recognized by courts as proof in a paternity action. If you have questions about paternity tests or fathers’ rights and obligations, contact the attorneys at our law firm.

• When unmarried parents separate, there may be a dispute about visitation, child support and other issues. Legitimation of parentage can ensure the right of the father to pursue visitation rights or custody. It can also protect the child’s interests by requiring the father to pay child support.
• When a baby is born outside of wedlock, it is important to establish paternity with a paternity test. The child can then have the support of a father. The father will have an obligation to pay child support and the right to visit the child and have a father-child relationship. Legitimation is important for financial support and for the child’s well-being.
• The attorneys at at Abbott, Abbott & Logan, PC care very much about children and will help you when you are acting in the best interest of a child. Establishing paternity so that there is no doubt of a child’s parentage is always in the best interest of the child.

DNA Testing For Paternity In Georgia

At at Abbott, Abbott & Logan, PC, we help mothers and fathers in paternity cases. Establishing paternity often requires DNA testing. In some counties, if both parties agree that they are the biological parents, the DNA test may not be necessary. In Cherokee County and certain other counties, however, the test is required even if both parties consent. Our attorneys understand that this is not an everyday issue for you, so we will stand by your side to guide you through the process from start to finish.

• DNA tests are very simple procedures: Because this is not an everyday issue for most people, there are a lot of misconceptions about what DNA tests involve. The reality is that these are very simple procedures. In most cases, a sample is obtained in a completely noninvasive manner. No blood is drawn. Instead, a cotton swab is rubbed against the inside of the person’s cheek, which takes only a matter of seconds. The test results, which are accepted as accurate by the court, are also obtained very quickly.
• DNA testing can be court ordered: In many cases, the party named as the father will simply agree to the DNA test and have it conducted voluntarily. If that party does not agree, the court can order DNA testing. Violation of this order would be considered contempt of court and can have serious repercussions.

If the DNA test indeed proves that the person named is the father, we will proceed to assist with child custody and child support arrangements.

Meet With One Of Our Lawyers Today

If you have concerns about paternity, contact us for an appointment. Call our office in Marietta ((678) 290-7650) or Canton ((678) 293-7251), Georgia, for a consultation with a lawyer. We accept all major credit cards.