Paternity

To establish child support and custody arrangements for children of parents that have not been married, the Court must make a finding of paternity.  Parties typically bring this matter forward to determine who the legal father is so that support, custody and or visitation may be established. 

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For paternity cases, Fathers can voluntarily acknowledge paternity, or paternity can later be established through non-invasive DNA testing.  Once paternity is established, orders for child support, custody and parenting plans may be established. 

 

It should be noted that in Massachusetts, there is a presumption that a mother of a child that is unwed at the time of birth is the legal custodial parent of that child.  Unless and until the father brings a paternity or custody action against the mother, the father does not technically have a right to custody of the child therefore it is important to hire an attorney and fight for rights to your child.  At Bergeron | Burgess we will work with you and guide you through this process to ensure you have rights to your child.