Lawyer for Fathers’ Rights

Fathers are often at an unfair disadvantage in family law court since many judges’ decisions feel as if they favor mothers, who are often the custodial parent. However, if you are a father in Southfield, it’s important to understand that you have rights as the parent of a child. Do not assume that you cannot win your custody cases simply because of a perceived bias by the court.

The fathers’ rights attorneys at American Divorce Association for Men (ADAM) have been advocating on behalf of men in Southfield for over 30 years. We understand the unique challenges you will face in court and know how to help you overcome them. Let our fathers rights divorce attorney work tirelessly to protect your rights and your relationship with your children.

What Are Fathers’ Rights to Child Custody and Visitation?

As a father, you have the right to seek custody of or parenting time with your child. If the other parent is willing to cooperate, you may be able to reach child custody determinations outside of the courtroom. But if an agreement cannot be reached, a judge will decide whether or not you should receive custody of your child, and the details of that custody arrangement.

The judge will consider many factors when making this decision, including your relationship with your child and ability to provide for your child. But ultimately, the judge will do what they believe is in the child’s best interest.

That’s why it is so important to seek legal representation from a father’s rights attorney who is committed to showing the judge that preserving your relationship with your child is in their best interest when considering child custody determinations.

What Are Fathers’ Rights to Child Support?

Both parents have a legal obligation to financially support their child regardless of how involved they are in the child’s life. In Michigan, the court typically orders the non-custodial parent to make child support payments to the custodial parent. If you are named the primary custodian of your child, you may have the right to collect child support from your child’s other parent.

Talk to our attorneys to determine whether or not you may be entitled to child support. A custody and parenting time arrangement can lead to you paying child support, receiving child support, or no child support.

Why is Establishing Paternity Important?

If two parents are married at the time of their child’s birth, the law will automatically assume that the husband is the child’s legal father. This legal presumption grants the husband parental rights, including the ability to seek full custody or joint custody, child support, and visitation.

However, if the parents are unmarried, the father will need to go through a legal process known as “establishing paternity” to become the child’s legal father. Until paternity is established, an unmarried father will not be able to enforce his parental rights in matters such as child support, custody, or parenting time.

Establishing paternity is a crucial step in ensuring that fathers have equal rights to be involved in their child’s life. This process generally involves the following steps:

• Voluntary Acknowledgment: Both parents can sign an Acknowledgment of Paternity form, which legally recognizes the father as the child’s parent.
• Genetic Testing: If there is uncertainty about paternity, genetic testing can be ordered by the court or agreed upon by the parents to confirm the biological father.
• Court Order: In some cases, a court order may be required to establish paternity, especially if the mother or father challenges the issue.

Once paternity is legally established, the father can seek legal rights for child custody, visitation, and child support, ensuring that both parents are legally recognized in the child’s upbringing.

How Can You Establish Paternity in Southfield?

There are two ways to establish paternity in the state of Michigan. First, both parents can sign an Affidavit of Parentage form that acknowledges the identity of the child’s father. If both parents sign this form, the father will be legally recognized as the child’s father.

However, this is not an option in cases where the mother and father do not agree on the father’s identity. For example, if you believe you are a child’s father, but the mother believes someone else is the biological father, she will most likely not be willing to sign this form. Without her signature, you cannot legally establish paternity with this form.

Therefore, this is only an option in cases where the mother and father agree on the identity of the child’s biological father.

If there is a dispute over the identity of the biological father, the case can be resolved in court. Either party can initiate a paternity case in court. The judge will typically order genetic testing to identify the biological father of the child.

If the results show you are the child’s father, the court will officially establish your paternity, which means you will be legally recognized as the father.

You must go through this process to establish paternity if you are an unmarried father and you want to exercise your right to child support, child custody rights, or visitation/parenting time agreement.

Schedule A Free Phone Consultation With Our Fathers’ Rights Attorneys in Southfield

Fathers need strategic guidance and effective legal representation in order to protect their rights. If you are a father who is involved in a family law dispute, it’s in your best interest to reach out to our experienced fathers’ rights attorneys in Southfield. With decades of legal experience, our attorneys have the knowledge and resources that it takes to win complex divorce or custody dispute cases on behalf of men in Michigan.

Learn more about your legal options, understanding fathers rights, and how we can help by contacting us today. To schedule a free phone consultation, call 248-356-2326 or submit your information using the form on this website.