There are many benefits to determining paternity of a child. The family law process can help families enjoy these benefits by providing a process to determine paternity.
What are the ways to determine paternity in Minnesota?
There are three primary ways of determining how to determine paternity in Minnesota including:
- When a child is born to a married mother, the mother’s spouse is presumed to be the legal parent of the child.
- If the parents of the child are unmarried, and the parents agree that the putative father is the child’s biological father, the parents can sign a Recognition of Parentage form.
- Finally, both parents can ask the court to issue an order naming the putative father as the child’s legal father.
Reasons parents may wish to establish paternity
There are a variety of reasons the parents of the child may want to establish paternity including:
- If the mother of the child wishes to request child support from the father.
- If the mother wishes to receive benefits from the child on behalf of the father such as insurance benefits or Social Security benefits.
- If the father wishes to be listed as the father on the child’s birth certificate and recognized as the child’s legal father.
- If the father wishes to pursue custody of the child or parenting time with the child.
- If the father wishes to add the child to his medical or dental insurance.
Additional reasons to establish paternity can include establishing a mental health history for the child or allowing the child to inherit from their legal father. Establishing paternity can be beneficial for the parents and the child. The family law system can help parents establish paternity so that the parents and child can establish the legal father of the child and enjoy the benefits that follow.
