There are many situations when teenaged boys become fathers, and they have legal rights and responsibilities to their children. Legally establishing paternity will allow a teen father to exercise these rights and responsibilities. It is beneficial to establish paternity as a teen father in order to best determine custody, support of the child, medical rights, and visitation schedules. Teen fathers have the right to take an active part in their child's life unless the court deems it harmful to the child at-fault.
Normally, a teen father can establish paternity by voluntarily submitting a paternity test. You will need to provide a blood or tissue sample and the hospital will test the sample to determine whether or not you were the father. It is also important to establish visitation rights if you are able to establish that you are the father and that you have a legal right to see your child. Typically, it is in your child's best interests to establish court-ordered visitation so that you can eliminate problems that could arise.
Some specific and court-ordered visits set boundaries and will give set boundaries and allow you some control over how often you see your child. It can also prevent misunderstandings or sabotaging of the father-child relationship. Court ordered visits can also allow you to have consistent bonding with your child in order to help establish a relationship.
If you would prefer to have full custody of your child, you have the right to petition for this custody in a California court house. You will want a hardworking and dedicated Los Angeles family attorney to assist you if you plan to do this, as it can be a difficult battle. The court may also mandate that you pay child support to the baby's mother, depending on the nature of your case. Talk with a Los Angeles family attorney at Claery & Hammond if you are a teen father and have questions about how to proceed with the legal implications of this situation!