Information And Advocacy For Birth Fathers
As an unwed father, you have no rights, only obligations. You are legally required to pay child support and provide medical insurance, but you have no custody or visitation rights and have no voice when decisions regarding your child’s health, education or general welfare are made.
At The Law Offices of Shelly L. Kennedy, Ltd., we help men throughout north central Ohio establish paternity and get the legal rights they need to develop and protect their father-child relationships.
Our office is located in Sandusky. Contact us today for help establishing paternity.
Helping Unwed Fathers Get Legal Rights
When children are born outside of marriage, paternity must be established. If mothers write a man’s name on the child’s birth certificate, they have the right to collect child support. However, this process does not give men the right to custody or visitation with their children.
Writing your name on your child’s birth certificate is not enough. You need to legally establish paternity before you have a right to parenting time.
Fathers play valuable and irreplaceable roles in children’s lives. At The Law Offices of Shelly L. Kennedy, Ltd., we fight for dads. Attorney Shelly Kennedy has devoted much time and energy to leveling the playing field and helping fathers obtain legal rights to their children.
Learn more about fathers’ rights. Please see our Fathers’ Rights FAQ.
The Legal Process
There are several ways a man can prove paternity. When both the mother and father agree on paternity, they may acknowledge it under oath. Men may also initiate administrative proceedings with the Child Support Enforcement Agency or file a paternity action in court, which may result in mandatory DNA testing. At The Law Offices of Shelly L. Kennedy, Ltd., we will evaluate your situation and help you pursue the process that is right for you.
Disputing Paternity
Men also come to us for help disputing paternity. If a woman is claiming you are the father of her child, she only has to write your name on her child’s birth certificate to have the legal right to collect child support from you. We will petition the court for genetic and paternity testing, prove you are not the father, force an amendment of the birth certificate if appropriate and get your support obligations eliminated.
At Our Firm, We Listen To Our Clients
Every situation is different, and every client has different objectives. Some fathers want equal parenting time, others prefer visitation. No matter what your goals are, we will help you establish your paternal rights and get the parenting time you want.
Call paternity lawyer Shelly Kennedy at 419-719-5245. We also gladly answer mothers’ questions about paternity actions, fathers’ rights and DNA testing.