**SPONSORED CONTENT BY DIVORCE INCORPORATED**
Fathers are not always easily identifiable. The child bearing and birthing process makes motherhood fairly clear. Fatherhood, on the other hand, can remain a mystery for a lifetime. This uncertainty is why fathers must establish their paternity when they are not married to the mother.
While inconvenient and often expensive, the need to establish paternity is there to protect fathers, mothers, and children. First, parentage carries the burden of supporting a child. A court ordered DNA test ensures the right guy is on the hook for child support. Further, establishing paternity prevents men from inserting themselves into a child’s and a mother’s life who do not belong. Mothers are tasked with protecting their children, and they should not have to hand the child over to just anyone. Further, establishing paternity gives the father a forum to seek custody, visitation, and other rights.
Once a father establishes himself as the legal father, the rights he may seek are equal to the mother. They can request custody or at least establish regular visitation. They can seek decision-making rights, tax rights, and many other rights not previously open to them.
Paternity is a protective wall. A father’s DNA is the key to get through the gate. If a father wants rights, he should let the world know he is the father and step through the gate.
By Daniel P. Bryant, Attorney at Law and Angela Middleton, Paralegal