Your gender and marital status play a big role in determining how your relationship with your child is recognized by the state of Illinois. A woman who gives birth is automatically considered the baby’s mother and if she is married to a man at the time of the birth, he is automatically considered the father, without any tests carried out to check whether that is biologically true. If she is not married, there is no automatically recognized father even if the father is there at the hospital when the baby is born. If you are not married and you are expecting your baby to be born soon, you will need to go through some steps to establish your paternity, in other words, to be recognized as the baby’s father. A skilled DuPage County, IL paternity attorney can answer your questions and walk you through the process.
I Know I Will Be an Involved Parent. What Difference Does Paternity Make?
When a married couple has kids and then splits up, there are detailed legal processes dedicated to making sure the child’s best interests are protected as the former spouses transition from being a couple to being two single parents. When a couple is not married when the child is born, there are none of the same protections for the child or the parents, and in particular, the father.