In some cases, fathers find themselves involved in a dispute about paternity. For instance, maybe a couple has split up, and the father wants to ensure that he has custody rights so that he can continue spending time with his child. But the mother claims he should not get any custody time because he is not the father in the first place and has no parental rights.
For fathers who find themselves in this position, what options do they have? How can they establish paternity and protect their parental rights?
The Voluntary Acknowledgment of Paternity Affidavit
The first way to do this is by using a Voluntary Acknowledgment of Paternity Affidavit, which is a free form that can be signed by both parents. It legally recognizes them as the child’s parents moving forward. Many couples do this while they are at the hospital after the child’s birth. If it was not done at the hospital, officials at a local Kentucky child support office or health department may be able to provide the same form and allow parents to file it correctly.
A paternity test
But if either parent will not or did not sign the Voluntary Acknowledgment of Paternity Affidavit, then the next step is generally to use a paternity test. The good news for fathers is that modern DNA testing is over 99% accurate. That means there does not need to be any guesswork. As long as the test is carried out by trained officials in a lab, rather than taking a paternity test at home, then the results can be used to establish official paternity and set up custody rights.
These types of disputes can certainly be complicated and contentious. It is critical for fathers who are involved to know exactly what legal steps to take.