Tampa Paternity Lawyer
At the Faulkner Law Group, PLLC, our Tampa paternity attorney provides reliable, effective legal representation to clients. A former Special Agent with the FBI and an Assistant State Prosecutor, David Faulkner will work tirelessly to help you establish and protect your parental rights. To set up a free, strictly confidential consultation with an experienced Tampa paternity lawyer, please call our law office or reach out to us directly online.
What is Paternity and Why Does it Matter?
Paternity is the basis of legal fatherhood in Florida. It grants important rights and benefits to the father, mother, and the child. Without paternity, a man will have no parental rights or parental responsibilities for a child. In other words, he will not be able to obtain custody rights or visitation rights, nor will he be ordered to pay child support.
An Overview of Paternity in Florida
Marriage
There are several ways to establish paternity in Florida—with the most straightforward being through marriage. When a married mother gives birth, her husband is automatically assumed to be the legal father of the child. No action needs to be taken by either party to establish paternity rights.
Voluntary Acknowledgement
For unmarried parents, proving paternity does not have to be a complicated or difficult process. If both parties agree, they can submit a voluntary acknowledgement of paternity form to the state of Florida. To be clear, voluntary acknowledgement requires consent from both the mother and the father.
Disputed Paternity
If there is a dispute over paternity, legal action may be required. Under state law, a paternity action can be brought by a mother, an “alleged” father, or a legal representative of the child. However, it is important to note that a paternity dispute can still avoid the courtroom. In some cases, this may be resolved by a genetic testing process administered by the Florida Department of Revenue. If the parties cannot resolve the matter at a voluntary or administrative level, a paternity action may be filed in a Florida court.
How Our Tampa Paternity Law Firm Can Help
We know that paternity is a complicated and sensitive matter. If you are involved in a dispute over paternity or if you simply have questions about how to establish or protect your parental rights, we are here to help. Among other things, our Florida paternity lawyer will:
- Conduct a free, in-depth evaluation of your paternity case;
- Answer your questions and explain your options; and
- Take the appropriate action to help you prove paternity.
Of course, paternity is often just one step of the process. Once you have established paternity, you may want to take action to seek custody/visitation rights or, alternatively, to recover child support payments. Regardless, our Tampa family lawyer can help.
Call Our Tampa Paternity Lawyer for Immediate Assistance
At the Faulkner Law Group, PLLC, our Florida family law attorney has the skills and experience to handle the full range of paternity cases. If you have questions or concerns about paternity, we are ready to help. For a no fee, completely private review of your case, please contact our law firm today. With an office in Tampa, we serve communities throughout the region, including in St. Petersburg, Brandon, Clearwater, Town ‘n’ County, Riverview, Lakeland, Bradenton, and New Port Richey.
