When parents are married in New York State, it is presumed that the husband is the father of the child. However, when the parents are not married, the child does not actually have a legal father at the time of birth. There are two ways to establish paternity if the parents are unmarried. The first is to sign an acknowledgement of paternity, which is a voluntary form most commonly found at the hospital right after birth. The second is to petition the family court for an order of affiliation. It is extremely important to know that if there is any doubt as to the paternity of a child, you should not sign an acknowledgement of paternity. Instead, you should go through the family court.
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This informational blog post was provided by Jennifer Sunderlin Morton, an experienced New York Family Law Lawyer.
