At Greg Spencer Law, the Indianapolis paternity attorney can explain the way Indiana law interprets the rights and responsibilities of the biological parents. Sometimes, paternity needs to be established through testing and court procedures. Establishing paternity allows the child to be cared for by both parents and   insures the father's rights to building  a healthy relationship with his child. Fathers have the same parental rights and responsibilities as mothers. The child can have access to life or health insurance benefits, inheritance rights, VA benefits among others with the paternity established.

You will be presumed to be a child’s father if you and the child’s mother were married at the time the child is born or if the child is born within 300 days after the marriage is over. In other cases, Paternity is to be established via a paternity Affidavit or Court Order. For information about Indiana Putative Father Registry click here.

A paternity Case can be filed in Court by the mother, the father, both parents together, the child or the division of family and children. Generally it needs to be filed within 2 years of the child’s birth. DNA testing may be requested but not necessary if the parties are in agreement. After paternity is established , the court will issue orders on custody, visitation and child support. Child support may start the support order at the date the paternity was filed or retroactively to the date of the child’s birth. An unmarried mother will have legal custody of the child unless there is a court order saying otherwise.

If you are a biological father who wishes to establish paternity please contact attorney Greg Spencer to advocate for your rights.