There are three ways to establish paternity in Connecticut:
1. Marital presumption. There is a presumption that the husband is the biological father of any child born during a marriage. This can be rebutted by clear and convincing evidence in court that the husband is not the child’s biological father.
2. Acknowledgement of Paternity. This is a form signed by parents agreeing to who the biological father is. It can be signed at the hospital when the child is born. It can also be completed later at the Department of Social Services or Department of Public Health.
3. Court Finding. This becomes necessary when the parents are unmarried and they are not willing to sign an Acknowledgement of Paternity. A judge will usually order genetic (DNA) testing to determine paternity. If the putative father seeks to establish paternity he must file a Paternity Claim in the local Probate Court. If the mother is the requesting party, she files in the Family Court or through the Department of Social Services in the Family Support Magistrate Court.
Establish Paternity in Connecticut
Paternity is the legal identification of who the biological father of a child is. Once paternity is established the father gains legal rights to the child. Those rights are the equivalent to those of the mother – they are on a level playing field. This comes as a surprise to some people. Neither parent has superior rights to the child. Both parents are joint guardians unless a court says otherwise.
Of course, both the father and mother have obligations to support the child. Therefore, paternity is the first step in establishing a Parenting Plan including setting custody and child support.
You may contact me by email or by calling my Fairfield office at (203) 259-5251 or in Stamford at (203) 356-1475 for further information concerning this topic and to schedule a consultation concerning how to establish paternity in Connecticut plus everything that goes with it.