When a child is born to unwed parents, a paternity action is the
proper type of lawsuit to file to determine rights to and
responsibilities for the child. Until recently, fathers of
children born outside of a marriage had no rights to that child.
However, the laws in Florida have recently changed such that
fathers of children born outside of a marriage may establish equal
rights to that child, as if they were married to the mother.
However, this change in the law does not mean that equal
timesharing and parenting rights will be honored or followed. Much
like in a divorce, separated parents often become involved in
paternity lawsuits to establish a timesharing schedule that
promotes their child’s best interests. As your legal counsel, we
will assist you and guide you during the entire paternity process.
This means we will ensure that the proper documents are filed with
the court, we will ensure that you understand your rights, we will
attend mediation conferences with you, and advocate for you in
court in the event that your case does not resolve amicably. We
will also obtain all of the relevant financial information from
both you and your spouse, so that child support is properly
determined in accordance with the relevant Florida statutes.