Tacoma, Washington, Family Law Attorneys for Your Parentage Matter
Just as half of all American marriages end in divorce, about half of all babies are born to parents who are not married to each other. Many unmarried parents are surprised to learn that they need to go through the legal system to protect the parental rights of both parents. In Washington, this means filing a Parentage action in Superior Court. Because the mother’s identity is not an issue, men in particular need to go through the court system to establish paternity if they want to either secure their parental rights as to a child if they have not been married to the mother, or if they are alleged to be the father and want to dispute it.
Contact us for more information about a Parentage action, whether you are the mother or the father, but have never been married to the other parent.
Will the Court require an Order of Child Support in a Parentage action?
In any family law matter involving dependent children, the Court absolutely will require an Order of Child Support. Do you just want to negotiate informal child support payments between yourself and the other parent? Forget it. The law does not work that way. Child support is for the child, not for the parent receiving it. It cannot be bargained away. And the non-custodial parent (usually the father) who has not been married to the child’s other parent (usually the mother) should keep this in mind: Despite any child support agreement made between the parents, the Court has the discretion to order “back child support” for up to five years prior to the date a Parentage action was filed. At Scholl Law Firm, P.S., our family law attorneys can represent you and protect your child support rights if you are a parent and have never been married to the other parent.
Are there issues of custody and visitation if the parents have not been married?
The law deals with child custody and Parenting Plan issues in a Parentage matter in just the same way that those issues are addressed in a divorce or a legal separation. And, after the Parentage action is completed, either parent may pursue further legal proceedings in the future for Parenting Plan and Child Support Modification.
Contact us by e-mail or call 253.579.1126 for advice or representation from an experienced Tacoma, Washington, divorce and family lawyer. For your convenience, we accept all major credit cards, and we can be available for evening or weekend appointments.
