I have a baby with my ex-girlfriend and I want to be a Dad.
Most of the clients we represent in paternity cases are fathers who want to establish a relationship with their child. As Seattle and Bellevue-Redmond Paternity Attorneys, we see cases like this all the time.
In Washington as in other states, you are responsible for paying child support if you are the father of a child, whether you are married or not. You also have a right to visitation. If there is a dispute about who is the father of a child, either side can initiate a paternity action. The court may then order a DNA test to establish who the father of the child is.
The State of Washington believes that it is important for both parents to be active in the lives of their children. A child has two parents, even if those parents are not married. Through a parenting plan that provides regular visitation, unmarried fathers can establish the bonds of a father-child relationship.
There are very specific requirements that must be met when establishing paternity. One of the major issues one must be aware of is that there are very strict deadlines by which you must file a paternity action. If the action is not filed in time, a father may lose the ability to have a relationship with his child. If you are considering a paternity action, please contact a lawyer immediately to find out the current legal limitation on your ability to file.
