IL family lawyerFinding out that you were going to become a father might have been one of the most exciting moments of your life – and maybe one of the most anxiety-inducing as well. If you are not in a committed relationship with your child’s mother, you will need to create a parenting plan. A parenting plan sets out each parent’s responsibilities and establishes a parenting time schedule. While you cannot actually formalize your parenting plan or start a child custody case until your child is born, you should be prepared to act quickly after your child arrives. This all begins with establishing that you are your child’s legal parent. An experienced Lisle, IL child custody and parentage attorney can help you prepare to protect your rights as a father as soon as you officially become one.

When Paternity Must be Established Immediately 

The sooner you are able to legally establish that you are your child’s father, the better protected you both are. If you and the mother are legally married, paternity is established automatically. Otherwise, you will need to either use a Voluntary Acknowledgement of Paternity or start a paternity case in court. Which route you take depends on whether your baby’s mother is willing to have you declared the father voluntarily.