Does A Father Have Visitation Right If His Name Is Not on The Child’s Birth Certificate?

Not all fathers are deadbeats, and a lot of absent fathers did not choose to be. In a lot of cases, most of them were led to believe that they have no rights to visit their child because their name is not on the birth certificated. This misconception has made a lot of fathers miss out on having a relationship with their child. With a reputable firm that engages in family law practice, this can be cleared up quickly, and everything will be sorted out. In Florida, when two people have a child outside of marriage, the mother is considered a sole parent until the father comes around and files a child custody case. With a child custody case, the father can get his rights as a parent such as decision making over the child, parental responsibility, access to medical and records of the child and a schedule that shows when the father can spend time with the child.

If a father is not listed on a birth certificate, this does affect his ability to visit his child. All a father needs to know is that he will need to file a father’s right custody case with the court and let the case get litigated to resolution. Cases like this are known as “Petition to Establish Paternity” Cases. Once this petition is filed, the judge will look at factors like how involved the father has been in his child’s life; what moves has he made to be with his child; and if child support payments were made voluntarily or court-ordered.

It is essential that a father who is filing a custody case must be able to prove that he has at least tried to spend some time with his child. The mother, if not interested in letting the father be a part of the child’s life, might claim that the father never made any efforts to bond with the child. The opposition can argue that the father is only filing for custody because he is trying to avoid the state going after him for child support. In a child custody case, if the mother tells the father that he does not have rights to his child because his name is not on the birth certificate, a good family law practice law in Altamonte Springs will effortlessly get the notion dismissed.

These days, courts have established the importance of a child having both of his/her parents around contrary to old beliefs that the mother is the more important parent. So, if you are a father trying to establish a relationship with your child and you need a firm that engages in family law practice in Altamonte to help you, you are in the right place. Frank Family Law is just a phone call away. Call 407 629 2208 or visit our website to fill out the contact form.