When people think about family law, they often think about divorce first.  Divorce is a common family law case.  It is probably the most common type of family law case out there.  There is no question that divorce is probably the most common type of family law case.

Next to divorce, likely the second most common type of family law case is paternity cases.  With forty percent of all children in the United States being born out of wedlock, paternity cases are on the rise.

Paternity cases generally comprise child custody and support cases among unmarried parents.  When unmarried parents have children or split after residing together and are unmarried, custody and support issues become important.

What a Paternity Case Includes

In these cases, the parties need a custody and child support order regarding their children.  The parties need to know when the children will be with one parent versus the other.  This is known as physical custody.  The parties also need to know how decisions are made for the children.  This is known as legal custody.

Additionally, in many cases, the father may not even be on the birth certificate.  Without a father on the birth certificate, in most instances, they have no legal rights.  Even if the father is on the birth certificate, that doesn’t give the father rights to their child without an enforceable order in most states.

Paternity cases can also deal with genetic testing in cases where paternity is in doubt or dispute.  This can be a real issue in some instances.

So, when you are thinking about family law, next to divorce, think about paternity cases.  They are common cases and very much on the rise nationwide.

If you need help with a paternity matter, you can contact Stange Law Firm, PC at 1-855-805-0595.