Paternity Document Preparation

What is A Paternity Case?

A Paternity case is a legal action filed by an unmarried mother or unmarried father to establish who is the legal father of a child or children. In order to get a child support or custody and visitation order unmarried parents must first establish paternity.  Riverside County Superior Court Website, 2013.

At Just Document Preparation we prepare all the documents to help unmarried mothers or fathers establish parental relationships (Paternity) through the court so that child custody, visitation and support can be ordered. We also prepare documents for men who are disputing an allegation that they are the father of a child.

Paternity – The Process

There are different processes to obtain a judgment to establish a parental relationship depending on if the case proceeds as a default, a default with an agreement or as a case that was contested. All cases start with the filing of a petition at the family law court. If child support is sought, income and expense information will need to be disclosed. After disclosures are exchanged, the 30 day waiting period after a petition is served has been met, and any court ordered mediation and hearings have been attended or others orders have been made, the judge will sign the judgment to establish the parental relationship. The timeline that the final documents are filed depends on each court’s backlog.