Get child support by establishing paternity

Not only does a father have a moral obligation to help pay for the care of his children, but a father also has a legal obligation. Problems, nevertheless, can arise when trying to collect child support if the father claims that he is not the father.

In order to secure an order to receive child support in these cases, a mother may need to take legal action to establish paternity.

How do you establish paternity and get child support?

Every mother should establish paternity for her child due to the following potential benefits:

• Secure a child support order.
• Access to medical information about the father. This medical information could be helpful when treating your baby's health conditions.
• Access to Social Security benefits for your child if the father becomes ill or incapacitated and can no longer pay child support.
• Get access to certain death benefits and/or insurance benefits.
• Get access to military benefits.

A few things to keep in mind about child support

A mother will not win a case to receive child custody from an unwed father unless the mother can establish paternity either by proving it or gaining the father's acknowledgment. Here are a few things to consider in this regard:

• It's always best to establish paternity while the mother and child are still in the hospital after birth.
• The father needs to be physically present and present identification to sign an Affidavit of Parentage.
• Ask for the father's name to be on the birth certificate as well when you fill out the vital records information.
• If there are any doubts about paternity, ask for DNA testing, which may involve providing a blood or tissue sample. The results of these tests can give a concerned mother peace of mind that she has irrefutable proof of parentage. These results can also be valuable as evidence in court.

Securing child support may be one of the most important things you do as a parent. Receiving extra money from the father of your child could dramatically improve the quality of life for both you and your son or daughter.