Child Visitation, Legitimation and Paternity in Denver Colorado

Denver CO Visitation and Paternity Lawyers

When couples who have children together after they are married get divorced they have a lot to address, and many of the details can be contested. But the rights and responsibilities that go along with parenthood are inherent, and though the terms of custody and visitation are open to discussion, there are no debates concerning parentage. But when unmarried couples split up and there are children involved, the issue of paternity may indeed arise.

The are generally two reasons why paternity issues arise, and they are opposite sides of the same coin. On the one hand a mother will sometimes try to prove the paternity of the man she believes to be the father of her child or children in an effort to receive child support payments from him. She may also want to see the father play an active role in the life of the children for their own emotional benefit. The other side of the coin is when a man wants to prove his parentage because he wants to gain his right to visitation as the biological father of the child or children, pay child support, and otherwise embrace his rightful role as a parent.

There was a time when it was difficult to prove paternity with absolute certainty, but during the modern era of genetic testing the matter is much more cut and dried. There is little reason to dispute parentage unless you are genuinely unsure. We have been highlighting potential paternity disputes, but when unwed parents both agree about the parentage of the father, they legally establish paternity by mutually signing an Acknowledgement of Paternity Form and filing it with the court. After a period of sixty days  the  Acknowledgement of Paternity is considered a Legal Finding of Paternity and legal paternity of the father is established.

If you have any questions or concerns about child visitation, legitimation, or paternity, don’t hesitate to contact a Denver CO family attorney for a free consultation.