Paternity law deals with the legal relationship between a father and a child, including the rights and obligations of both the man and the child to each other as well as to others. If the parents are not married when the child is born, they must take extra steps to protect important legal rights. During a paternity case, paternal responsibility, timesharing, and child support are resolved. If you are an unmarried man and believe you may have fathered a child, you must act to protect your rights. If you are an unmarried mother and wish to get child support for your child, paternity must first be established.
If you believe you are not the biological father of a child there are circumstances under which you may disestablish paternity or terminate a child support obligation.