Paternity Attorneys
Serving Chicago & Chicagoland including Cook, Will, DuPage & Lake Counties
Paternity means being the biological father of a child. Establishing paternity can be at the initiative of the mother, who wishes the father to share in the responsibilities of parenting, or at the initiative of the father, who wants to take part in his child’s life.
Experienced Chicago Paternity Attorneys
When it is unclear who the biological father of a child is, it can be established through DNA testing. All it takes to determine biological parentage today is three swipes with a cheek swab.
Paternity is important because many things are at stake:
~Access to the child via custody or visitation
~Obtaining child support from the father
~Inheriting the father’s assets after his death
~Claiming government benefits through the father
~Knowing what medical issues may have been inherited
Common Question?
Are lump sum child support buy-outs allowed in Illinois paternity cases?
Skillful Illinois Parentage Act Lawyers
Many men think they are automatically the legal father because they signed an acknowledgment of paternity form when the baby was born, or because their name appears on the Birth Certificate. But such statements may be challenged, and are not always conclusive.
Until fatherhood is established, the mother cannot insist on payment of child support, contribution towards medical expense, visitation or custody. And the father is not recognized as the legal parent. He has no rights whatsoever.
To complicate matters further, there is developing paternity law on topics such as sperm donation and assisted reproductive technologies.
As you can see, many murky issues surround paternity, requiring the services of an experienced paternity lawyer to restore clarity. We have helped many mothers and many fathers to better understand the blessings and responsibilities of parentage.
If you have questions about establishing paternity, we welcome your call.
We have over twenty years of combined experience in handling divorce, custody and family law cases. YOU give us your confidence, WE give you the peace of mind and the results you deserve.
We help people and families in Chicago and throughout the Chicagoland suburbs.
To meet with us, call The Walters Law Group, Ltd.’s attorneys at 708-361-9700, or e-mail us using this online form.