Practice Areas

Orange County Paternity Attorneys

Paternity disputes are often emotional and can be complicated given circumstances.  Parents not only have to understand the hardship they are presenting to themselves, but also to their children in going through paternity disputes.  However, it is important that parents are made part of their children’s lives, and paternity suits serve an important role in fleshing out any underlying issues.  If you are considering bringing a paternity suit or are made part of a paternity suit, do not hesitate to contact an Orange County based paternity lawyer.

Paternity Suits in California

Paternity cases examine and identify he biological father of the child.  These cases are often highly emotional because they can sometimes impact the duty of a man who assumed the role of father thinking he was the father, or they may impact the life of a person who had no idea he was a father.  DNA testing has become the go-to approach for paternity testing, although there are several instances where a man is presumed to be the father of the child, such as when a child is born during marriage, or when a man lives with the mother and holds out to the public that the child is his own.

Paternity suits are an important part of divorce proceedings or are often brought as standalone issues.  Paternity suits have the potential to impact child custody, child support, child visitation, and even relocation and will undoubtedly drastically impact the lives of the children in question.  These cases are often very sensitive, and the top priority must be the best interests of the child.  A court may order a mother, child, and an alleged father to submit to genetic testing to prove paternity or lack thereof.

Paternity cases often have wide-reaching issues as sometimes these cases impact the delicate family structure.  If a man married to a woman discovers that the child he is raising is not his own, a court may still award custody to this man if he raised the child.  A man who does not think he is the father of a child must additionally act quickly to challenge alleged paternity shortly after the birth of the child.  However, each case is different, and the facts of the case will make a large impact on the court.  Once paternity is established, a court will develop child custody, child support, and modification of support orders for both parties to agree upon.

Free Legal Consultation With Orange County Paternity Lawyers

If you are going through a complex or emotional paternity suit, contact the Orange County family lawyers.  Our team of child support attorneys in Orange County recognize the delicate situation paternity suits involve and will work tirelessly with you to get this matter resolved.  The most important part of paternity suits is the impact on the children and our Orange County paternity attorneys will not lose sight of this.  While paternity suits are often brought so that child support obligations are met, these cases will additionally impact children for the rest of their lives and must be treated in such a way.  Contact our Orange County office today for your initial free consultation.