Paternity

Paternity Obligations and Issues

Paternity law can be complicated, and it is important to address certain issues early on in the process. My law office provides representation to clients of both genders who are concerned about the obligations, duties, and questions that arise.

Establishing Paternity

Paternity can be established through a paternity test. The mother, alleged father, and child in question generally submit to a blood test. When and if paternity is established, fathers often have many questions.

• Can I spend time with my child?
• Can I assert any parental rights?
• Can the courts help me assert my rights?
• How does this affect child support and child custody?

Generally, the father of a child must be determined prior to establishing child support, child custody, and visitation rights.

When a child is born to a married couple, there is a presumption of paternity. However, when a child is born to unmarried parents, paternity must be established in order to create a legal relationship. As a lawyer with over 30 years of experience in family law, I understand the stress of a paternity suit and what is at stake for my clients. I approach my client's concerns directly, encouraging phone calls and questions, and I formulate legal strategies based on this information. For help with a paternity issue, please contact my firm to arrange for a free consultation.


Steven G. Rosenberg is a family law attorney and divorce lawyer located in Alameda, California. Our law firm specializes in divorce, child custody, paternity, and all aspects of family law. We represent clients throughout the Bay Area including: Oakland, Piedmont, Montclair, Berkeley, Hayward, San Leandro, San Lorenzo, Dublin, Fremont, Martinez, and Alameda and Contra Costa counties.