Oregon Attorney Handling Paternity Claims and Defense
Fathers are extremely important to children. Not only can fathers provide essential emotional support, they can also provide financial support. Establishing paternity gives your child legal rights including inheritance rights.
Legal paternity formalizes a father's responsibility to provide child support and makes it possible for him to obtain child custody and parenting time with an appropriate court-ordered child custody and support plan. He may also gain legal custody, which gives him authority to make decisions about the child's medical care, welfare, religion and choice of schools.
At the Law Offices of Stephen J. Bedor in Lake Oswego, Oregon, we represent both fathers and mothers who which to establish legal paternity as well as those who wish to dispute a claim of paternity. Attorney Stephen J. Bedor has more than 25 years of experience in the practice of family law and will fight hard to protect your rights. Contact us today via e-mail or call 503-699-0402 to schedule a consultation.
Establishing Legal Paternity
When a child's mother and biological father are not married, there are a number of ways paternity can be established. The easiest is for the birth father to voluntarily acknowledge paternity. This can be done in the hospital during the birth or later through an affidavit of paternity.
If the birth father chooses not to acknowledge paternity, you may choose to file a paternity lawsuit. All parties, including the mother, father and child, typically have a DNA test performed.
Responding to a Paternity Suit or Seeking to Disestablish Paternity
We represent both fathers and mothers who wish to dispute a claim of paternity. If you have been served with a paternity suit, it is imperative you respond immediately. Contact us for a consultation about defense.
In some cases, fathers discover reasons to doubt their paternity even after legal paternity has been established. This could occur because the father was married to the child's mother or voluntarily acknowledged his paternity without a DNA test. In such cases, Oregon law allows the father to petition to disestablish paternity. Because paternity law is quite complex, however, we recommend that you consult with a qualified family law lawyer as soon as possible.
Contact the Law Offices of Stephen J. Bedor for a consultation with a skilled paternity rights attorney. We serve clients in Lake Oswego and the surrounding communities in Multnomah County, Oregon.
