If you are married, the law presumes that any child born to your wife also belongs to you. If you are not married at the time of birth, you do not have any rights to your child until you are listed on their birth certificate; sign a Voluntary Acknowledgment of Paternity; or until a judge legally says you are the father (through a paternity hearing). If you think you are the father of a child and you are looking to assert your rights you need a lawyer. Our firm can help.
Our law firm, Joel C. Zimmerman & Associates, L.T.D., in Tinley Park and Chicago, Illinois, has been assisting fathers in obtaining the rights to their children for more than 25 years. Joel C. Zimmerman, is a committed Tinley Park fathers' rights lawyer willing to provide fathers with individualized services that help them to understand their best legal course of action.
Fathers, You Have Rights and Responsibilities
Fathers have the absolute right to pursue custody or have visitation time with their children. However, if you are an unmarried father, you might have to go through some extra steps to get access to your child. In pursuing those rights it is important to know that you may have the following rights and obligations:
- You have a right to an attorney
- You have the right to a hearing on paternity and custody
- You have the right to a DNA test
- If the DNA test is positive, you have the right to sign a Voluntary Acknowledgment of Paternity (VAP)
- You have the same rights with regard to child custody as the mother
- You have the same rights of custody and visitation
- You may have an obligation to help pay the following:
- Child support
- Educational expenses, beginning with daycare expenses
- Health insurance
- Uncovered medical, dental and optometrical expenses
What Obligations Do I Have as a Father Under the Law?
If you are the father of a child you have a number of obligations and privileges under Illinois law. A paternity action addresses a number of different fathers' rights. It first and foremost determines whether a man is the father of a child. Second, it addresses custody, visitation and support of that child. In your paternity action, we will include all of these issues in the paperwork and have them addressed to the court so that you can finally address your custody and visitation rights with your child.
Orland Park Custody Attorney Available for Initial Consultation
If you are interested in finding out more about your rights and obligations as a father our law firm can help. Contact us by e-mail or by calling us at 708-633-5200 to schedule a free, no-obligation, initial consultation.
