Determining a child’s parentage is a delicate and emotional subject. JWB Family Law is a legal team that specializes in lawsuits to establish or dispute alleged paternity. Our paternity case lawyers can help you with divorce and property division, child custody and support, and visitation and parenting time orders.

The California Family Code protects the best interest of the child by mandating that all parents, both biological and non-biological, bear the responsibility to provide adequate child support. According to California legislation, the support obligation can also extend to non-biological children in some circumstances. Therefore, paternity must be established before child support, custody, and visitation issues can be resolved. Our resolute and loyal paternity attorneys in El Centro will help you resolve this thorny issue in a way that suits all parties concerned.

Establish parentage with the help of our proven legal team

At JWB, we understand that parenting cases can turn into a complex and exhausting process. Our dedicated paternity case lawyers will make sure to explain the situation, get you acquainted with your rights, lay out the available options, and recommend the appropriate course of action.

Paternity cases in California are further complicated by the fact that both parents have the right to contest the paternity of the child. El Centro parentage laws are intricate and paternity cases may include a voluntary declaration of parentage, presumption of parentage, competing claims for parentage, equitable parent relationships, and other legal mechanisms. Since paternity actions can turn into a sensitive and protracted ordeal for the child and other parties involved, it’s strongly advised to determine paternity in a timely fashion.

We are a team of leading paternity lawyers in El Centro, CA

If you need help to contest or establish the paternity of a child, our reputable team of paternity attorneys is here to help you develop a child custody or visitation plan, and file a paternity dispute or a petition for parentage.

Establishing parentage is important because it may award child support to a parent or enable them to request child custody and visitations. Our paternity lawyers have the requisite experience in handling all types of child custody and parentage cases.

Reputable paternity attorneys in El Centro will help you ascertain parentage

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does a father have to establish paternity in California?

According to California paternity law, there is no deadline or statute of limitations that defines how long the father has to establish paternity. In cases where there is uncertainty about who the father is, the court can order a blood test to establish paternity for up to two years after the child is born. Unmarried fathers reserve the right to seek child custody and visitation until the child turns 18 and have a further three-year time frame to establish paternity and petition the court through their paternity lawyers in El Centro.

Paternity is usually proven with the appropriate documentation like the child’s birth certificate. In cases where one of the parents disputes paternity, the court will order genetic DNA testing to determine whether there is a proven genetic connection between the supposed father and the child. DNA laboratory analysis involves testing the father’s blood, hair, or mouth swab.

The short answer would be no. If the father has established parental rights then the mother has no right to deny access. A mother can’t stop a father from seeing the child unless there is a court order in place that supports her decision. In special cases regarding paternity, the mother can withhold a child from the father in El Centro if there is a custody order in place or if the father hasn’t established his parental rights.

California paternity law states that unmarried fathers have no inherent paternal rights. If the father and the mother agree to sign a Voluntary Declaration of Parentage, the father obtains parental rights without having to petition the court. However, if the mother declines, the father has to petition the court through a paternity case attorney to officially define his parentage status.

JWB’s experienced team of family lawyers has a distinguished reputation in handling all aspects of paternity law. You can count on our service if you need help with asset and property division or expert assistance with child and spousal support. Our accomplished legal team will aid you in your pursuit to establish paternity in Temecula, and provide guidance with all types of family law cases.

Whether you are located on the edge of the city or in the middle around the El Centro Library and the Imperial Valley Mall, we are ready to extend our professional legal assistance. Contact us today for a free consultation and we’ll proudly defend your interests!