Chester County Paternity Lawyer
In just one short word “paternity” refers to a broad range of legal rights, responsibilities and issues. Parents with an interest in paternity law may be a:
- Mother. Mothers who need paternity law legal help may wish to establish the paternity of their child in order to file for and receive needed child support payments.
- Father. Fathers who need paternity law legal help may wish to begin the legal process of proving fatherhood of a child. Fathers may also wish to contest paternity.
Paternity actions most often result when there is confusion or questions regarding the identity of a child’s father. Fatherhood questions are usually answered via a DNA test, commonly referred to as a “blood test” or “genetic test.”
In the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, when a married woman gives birth, it is presumed that her husband is the father of the child. When a child is born outside of marriage, DNA testing can be used to establish paternity, or it can be established by a course of conduct (such as voluntarily providing support) or the signing of a Voluntary Paternity Acknowledgement form.
Contact our West Chester Pa Paternity lawyer if you believe you are the father of a child and wish to establish your parental rights, or if you are the mother of a child and hope to obtain the support your child needs.
Don’t Be Intimidated to Fight for your Child
Many fathers feel disadvantaged in a system that seems to favor mothers and make it more difficult for a father to be involved in the life of his child. However, you do have rights, but you must take action to enforce them. Before being granted any custody or visitation rights, an unmarried father must establish paternity. On the flip side, fathers cannot be ordered to pay child support until paternity is established.
If your parental rights are being denied, or if you are struggling to obtain child support for your children, you need aggressive representation and legal knowledge on your side. Contact a Chester County Paternity Lawyer for answers and advice on what is involved when paternity is questioned. Contact us by email or at (610) 692-8700 for an initial consultation.
Fathers can submit voluntarily to a DNA test to establish paternity, and mothers can compel alleged fathers to submit to a DNA test to establish paternity, which can then lead to an entry of a child support payment order.
Other areas and issues related to paternity law include birth certificates, estoppel actions and acknowledgments of paternity. For experienced legal help in pursuing your paternity law legal rights, contact our firm for a no-charge discussion.
Contact an Experienced Paternity Lawyer in West Chester
Our West Chester PA based Paternity lawyers are both passionate in what they do and compassionate in their treatment of their clients seeking to determine paternity and clarify support and parental obligations. Based in suburban Philadelphia at 304 North High Street, West Chester PA 19390, we make your choice all the clearer with locations throughout the metropolitan Philadelphia Pennsylvania, including Center City Philadelphia, West Chester PA, Malvern (serving Downingtown/Exton PA), Kennett Square PA, Lancaster PA, King of Prussia PA, Plymouth Meeting PA, Radnor and Springfield PA. We serve Downingtown, Paoli, Media, Norristown, Harrisburg, Lancaster, Lebanon, Reading and Allentown. For more information or to schedule an appointment with an experienced Pennsylvania Paternity Attorney at Ciccarelli Law Offices, by contacting us at (610) 692-8700 or toll free at (877) 529-2422.