Paternity Lawyers in Ventura, California

Paternity cases in California involve the determination of a child’s biological father. Paternity involves children whose parents were not lawfully married when the child was born. Parentage often must be determined before child custody, child support, or visitation schedules can be arranged. A skilled attorney at Land Legal Group can help navigate paternity issues.

The critical issue of paternity often involves a complex legal process. Fortunately, a skilled family law attorney can help create a compelling case for paternity and create a strong response strategy in disputes involving parentage. From issues ranging from the accuracy of laboratory tests to paternity trials, our experienced lawyers can help.

Strong Legal Representation in California Paternity Cases

At Land Legal Group, we provide clients with strong legal representation in various paternity issues. Our lawyers take great effort to assess the facts of your case and then offer honest but accurate feedback addressing your available choices. We can also help you navigate every aspect ranging from DNA to establishing child custody rights.

People often wrongly believe that courts award custody decisions in the mother’s favor. Courts, however, always focus on what is in the child’s best interest. In arriving at their decision, courts routinely rely on each case’s unique individual facts. Regardless of how complex your paternity case is, a skilled paternity lawyer has the knowledge to help you proceed through matters.

How a Ventura Family Law Attorney Can Help

Obtaining the assistance of a family law attorney can help you avoid many of the challenges that can arise during paternity cases. Rather than become overwhelmed with navigating the law as it applies to your situation, you can continue living your life and focusing on your loved ones while our lawyers try to resolve your situation in the best manner possible. One of our attorneys can explain California law as well as how paternity will be established in your case. Our lawyers can also help you navigate issues like arranging for DNA testing as well as creating forms addressing paternity.

It’s vital to retain the assistance of a lawyer who can make sure that you meet deadlines on paternity-associated issues. Courts place narrow windows of time on requests like canceling paternity declarations. Not meeting deadlines can mean that you end up losing your chance to either prove or contest paternity. Utilizing a skilled attorney to satisfy the state of California’s paternity requirements as well as meet the state’s statute of limitations almost always substantially increases your odds of satisfactory results.

The Importance of Establishing Paternity in California Family Law Cases

Establishing paternity involves either receiving court documents or signing a paternity declaration stating who the child’s legal parents are. Even in situations where a man can establish that he is a child’s biological father, if the man was not legally wed to the child’s mother at the time of the child’s birth, the man will be found to have no legal duty in regards to the child.

In situations where children are born to an unmarried couple, issues almost always arise involving things like child custody and visitation. Making an assessment about whether an individual has a legal duty or rights as the child’s father is often challenging.

California statute provides a method of demonstrating parents when a child’s parents were not lawfully wed before the child was born. California courts can sometimes use the concept of de facto parentage. The legal concept of de facto parentage provides an option for a person who has performed in the role of a parent without necessarily having an adoptive or biological connection to the child on which to base a parental relationship.

De facto parentage relationships routinely prove advantageous to couples in same-sex relationships. In these situations, two parents of the same sex are able to establish a parental connection to the child. Under other methods, same-sex spouses are not able to demonstrate legally recognized relationships with the child.

Parentage, Child Support, and Child Visitation in Ventura

If parents of a child are undergoing a divorce, one of the parents might be required to prove parentage before the court. This way the court can then make a decision about child custody, support, or visitation. If parents were not legally married at the time of the child’s birth, the assumption of parentage does not occur. In these situations, you will be required to prove parentage by either testing or signing the appropriate paperwork.

Proving parentage plays a vital role for issues of support and visitation of the child. If the other person does not prove parentage, there will be a lack of any type of legal connection to the child and consequently no obligation by the other parent to care for the child. There will also be no basis upon which to require child support payments by the other parent. It’s often critical for your child’s financial and emotional being that parentage is established.

If you’re a parent but have not established parentage, you will need to do so in many situations so you can continue to visit or have custody of the child. Without proving yourself the legal parent of the child, you will lack the rights to visit the child following divorce or separation.

Proving Parentage in California Family Law Cases

Proving parentage is critical. For one, children receive the benefit of bonding with both parents. Additionally, establishing parentage makes sure that a child can enjoy the same rights and privileges as the children of married parents. In California, some of these rights and privileges include financial support from both parents, legal documentation that lists both parents, access to both parents’ medical records, insurance coverage from both parents, and the right to inherit from both parents.

At Land Legal Group, our family law firm in Ventura, CA also focuses on the following practice areas:

• Divorce
• Same-Sex Divorce
• Child Custody
• Prenuptial Agreement
• Grandparents Rights
• Fathers Rights
• Domestic Violence
• Spousal Support
• Children’s Law
• Child Support
• Dependency Law

Contact Our Ventura Paternity Attorneys Today For an initial consultation

No matter if you are looking to obtain visitation rights for a child or you are trying to obtain the child support payments you deserve, it can be vital to respond to paternity tests with the assistance of a skilled lawyer. Parentage and associated issues can be nuanced issues and having a skilled lawyer can help you obtain the best possible results. Contact Land Legal Group today to schedule a case evaluation. Our Ventura family lawyers understand the importance of families and can make sure that your case resolves in the best manner possible.