Establishing parentage or paternity is the process of determining the legal father or mother of a child when the parents are not married at the time of conception or birth.
In most cases, parentage actions are only necessary when the parents are not, or never were, married to each other. A legal determination of parentage is necessary before the court can make custody, visitation, or child support orders.
Additionally, an establishment of paternity may be required to provide the child with medical and life insurance coverage, to protect the child's inheritance rights, or to secure Social Security or veterans' benefits, if available.
At Langley Law Firm, we deal with every parentage action with extreme compassion, because these decisions will always change and impact lives significantly.
For more information about paternity, parentage actions, custody or visitation in Walnut Creek, please use our Contact Us form.