Paternity Lawsuits
The most common paternity lawsuits involve establishing a relationship between a father and a child. In Missouri, establishing this relationship for a child who was born outside of marriage is called establishing parentage. These lawsuits can be critical in allowing a parent to have contact with a minor child and although they usually deal with father-child relationships, in some circumstances they may also deal with mother-child relationships.
The action may help establish legal custody and child support for children as well and may be brought by forward by a child, a child’s natural mother, a child’s presumed father, a man who alleges to be the child’s father, a person who has legal custody of a child for more than 60 days, as well as others.
If you are seeking to file a paternity lawsuit or are facing one, you need a compassionate and aggressive Missouri family law attorney who can fight on your behalf and help you understand the process. Contact the law offices of Kathryn J. Synor, LLC today for your initial consultation.
Paternity statutes:
193.085 Vital Statistics
210.826 Determination of father and child relationship, who may bring action, when action may be brought.
210.828 Statute of Limitations
210.854 Paternity and support, setting aside of judgment, criteria–division to track cases
