Establishing paternity is one of the best things that you can do as a parent for yourself and your child. Prior to legally establishing paternity, a child’s father has no rights, and there are many benefits for you and the child once paternity is determined by the court. There are many ways to establish paternity in Florida, and once that occurs it is important to know what to expect next in the process. At the Law Offices of David L. Hirschberg, our experienced and knowledgeable Boca Raton family law attorneys are here to help. Call or contact our office today to schedule a consultation of your case.
Creating a Parenting Schedule
The first step in a paternity case is creating a parenting schedule. Visitation and custody of a child is one of the biggest benefits to establishing paternity, as it allows you to develop a relationship with your child. Depending on the circumstances of the case, the parents can either decide parenting issues, including timesharing, between them or utilize the court to help decide the best legal and physical custody setup for your child.
Determining Child Support
After determining paternity, and creating the parenting schedule, the next step is figuring out how much each parent will provide child support. Florida guidelines help determine the proper level of support, and an experienced attorney can also help. Because the timesharing schedule (i.e., how many overnights each parent has with the child) affects the child support calculation, this is why determining the timesharing schedule is the first step.
Adding the Child as a Beneficiary
After paternity is established, you may also wish to add your child as a beneficiary to certain accounts or policies. This may include a life insurance policy or a living trust. By adding the child as a beneficiary, you are providing the child with some financial protection and security, and these accounts bypass the probate process so they avoid the opportunity for someone to contest naming the child as a recipient of your assets.
Amending an Estate Plan
Finally, you may wish to consider writing or amending an estate plan to include your child. As a biological child, they have inheritance rights, but if the child is not included in a will it can cause problems later down the road. Adding the child to an estate plan can also help the child feel like they are truly a part of the family and help bring you closer together as parent and child. To learn more about what to expect after establishing paternity, talk to our office today.
Talk to Our Office Now
Do you wish to learn more about what to expect after establishing the paternity of a child in Florida? If so, the experienced and skilled family law attorneys in Boca Raton at the Law Offices of David L. Hirschberg are here to help. Call or contact the office today to schedule a consultation.