Paternity

When parents are not married, Florida law does not automatically give the father legal rights. Until paternity is established, the mother is the natural guardian (Fla. Stat. § 744.301) and the father has no enforceable right to timesharing or decision-making. Paternity can be established voluntarily — through a signed Acknowledgment of Paternity or by being named on the birth certificate — or through a paternity action under Fla. Stat. Chapter 742, which can include scientific (DNA) testing when biological fatherhood is disputed.

A paternity judgment does far more than confirm biology. It establishes a parenting plan and timesharing schedule, sets child support under the Fla. Stat. § 61.30 guidelines (including potential retroactive support), and creates the legal footing for the father's rights and responsibilities going forward. We represent fathers seeking to establish and protect their parental rights as well as mothers seeking support and a workable parenting plan, and we handle both uncontested acknowledgments and contested actions that require testing and an evidentiary hearing.