In Florida, when a baby is born to a couple that is married, the husband is legally presumed to be the father of the child. Conversely, when a mother is unmarried at the time of the birth of the child, establishing paternity can be more complex. For parents that are unwilling to recognize the paternity of the child, court processes are available to prove who the father of the child is. However, for parents that are willing to recognize an unmarried father, there is the Voluntary Acknowledgement of Paternity. At our office, our Boca Raton paternity attorneys help couples with this and any other legal issues regarding paternity or the wellbeing of a child. Call the office or contact us today to schedule an appointment to discuss your case.
What is a Voluntary Acknowledgement of Paternity?
If both the mother and father of a child agree on the child’s paternity, they can sign a Voluntary Acknowledgement of Paternity form. Both parents must be willing to sign the document or else it is considered invalid. The Voluntary Acknowledgement of Paternity form recognizes the man as the child’s legal father under the penalty of perjury. The document becomes legally binding sixty days after the signing, and after that time period it becomes extremely difficult to get the acknowledgement revoked.
The only way to revoke a Voluntary Acknowledgement of Paternity form after the sixty-day window is if one parent can prove either fraud or extreme force. This means that one parent was tricked into believing the paternity of the child or that one parent coerced the other using force to sign the paperwork validating paternity.
What are the Benefits of Acknowledging Paternity?
There are many benefits to signing a Voluntary Acknowledgement of Paternity form. First and foremost, recognizing paternity allows the father the opportunity to form a relationship with his child from the moment of birth. The child, too, benefits from the love and support of a father in their life. The father is also able to provide support for the child in the form of health insurance, Social Security or military benefits, inheritance rights, and child support.
By signing a Voluntary Acknowledgement of Paternity form, you can also maintain a good relationship with the mother of the child. This in turn can make the process of establishing timesharing and parental responsibility rights easier for everyone involved. It can also help with the co-parenting of the child and communicating with the other parent about the child’s needs. Talk to an expert in Florida paternity rights today to hear more about the benefits of establishing paternity of your child.
Call or Contact Our Office Now
To learn more about signing a Voluntary Acknowledgement of Paternity form or for help with any other questions concerning paternity in Florida, call the office or contact us today at the Law Offices of David L. Hirschberg in Boca Raton. schedule a consultation of your case with one of our experienced family law attorneys now.
Resource:
floridahealth.gov/certificates/certificates/birth/_documents/DH_432_Ack_Paternity.pdf