Defining and Understanding a Declaration of Paternity
There are a variety of reasons as to why one might be required to take a paternity test. Some of which include:
- Establishing a child’s right to become a citizen of the country from which the father is originally from, this is referred to as an immigration paternity test.
- In order to have the father pay for child support and cater to the well-being of the child on an emotional and financial level.
- To allow the father entitlement of access to the child as well as visitation rights.
Filing a Declaration of Paternity
In many countries a married woman’s husband is assumed to be the paternal father of their baby. On the other hand, if a woman gives birth to a baby outside of marriage, there are certain steps that are required by law in order to establish the legal father of the child.
A Declaration of Paternity is a legal document or affidavit that both unmarried parents of the child sign. This document indicates that the man is indeed the true father of the child and is required by law to pay child support as well as have access to the child.
The Declaration of Paternity can be presented in a court of law to protest against an on-going adoption case and also ensures that the child or children receive their fair share of social security benefits or inheritance in the event the biological father passes away.
If the Declaration of Paternity is filed before the mother and baby leave the hospital, then the father’s name will automatically be included on the baby’s birth certificate. This will save them the hassle of having to file for forms that will amend the baby’s birth certificate to include the father’s name afterwards.
Paternity testing
A paternity test is a DNA analysis usually taken to establish who the biological father of a child is. The test can be done at home by purchasing a kit from an online DNA testing provider who conduct the DNA analysis in a laboratory.
The legal DNA paternity test is more costly and requires testing to follow stricter guidelines. The home based kit requires a swab of the cheek in order to obtain a sample. Legally, a DNA test conducted at home via self-sampling kit is not normally sufficient to hold up in a court of law.
If a woman wants to determine who the father of the child is before the baby is born they can do this through prenatal testing. There are risks involved when conducting a prenatal paternity test and it is advised to wait until after the baby is born. Paternity testing is a sure fire way of ensuring your child’s well-being, emotionally, medically and financially are taken care of.
