Illinois Paternity / Parentage Attorneys
Paternity / Parentage Lawyers Serving DuPage County & Kane County
Establishing the paternity of a child is important for both emotional, practical and legal reasons. Legally, paternity affects issues of child support, child custody and visitation, adoption and inheritance. Most paternity cases involve unmarried couples, but making paternity determinations can also come into play in divorce proceedings. At the Abear Law Offices, we are experienced in handling all types of paternity cases.
Paternity and Child Support
Many paternity cases are filed by mothers seeking to establish their child’s paternity and compel financial support from the father. This may require a court order for DNA paternity testing if the father does not acknowledge his parentage. Once paternity is determined, a decree of parentage is issued. This decree is necessary to establish the obligations of the father including:
- Financial support
- Medical insurance coverage
- Contributions to medical and educational expenses
A parentage decree also establishes inheritance rights for the child. In some cases, DNA testing is also used to disprove paternity and dissolve child support orders. At our firm, we represent both mothers and fathers with the ultimate goal of identifying the paternity of a child and protecting the rights of that child.
Paternity and Parental Rights
Paternity determinations can also establish parental rights for fathers. Fathers have rights to child custody and visitation where appropriate. Attorney Anthony Abear is experienced in helping fathers fight for their rights to be a part of their children’s lives.
If you have a paternity issue that needs to be settled, contact us today to schedule a consultation. We handle cases throughout both DuPage County and Kane County.
