Defending Father’s Rights

Family Lawyers in Fort Walton Beach

When a child is born outside of a marital relationship, establishing rights as a father can be complicated. An attorney can help protect your rights throughout the process.

Contact The Virga Law Firm, P.A. today to discuss your father's rights case.

Establishing Paternity

Our Fort Walton Beach family law attorneys can help you establish your rights as a father. Ordinarily, both parents sign an Acknowledgement of Paternity during a child’s birth, but the document can be filed after the fact. Accordingly, we begin by filing a paternal case with the state of Florida to establish you as the biological parent. Once signed by both biological parents, the state will have the evidence it needs to recognize your paternity.

If the document is not signed by both parents, paternity can still be established through a court-ordered DNA test. This test will compare your DNA to that of the child’s to determine if you are the biological parent.

Father’s Rights and Responsibilities

After paternity is established, our family law professionals can help you maximize your parental rights as the biological father. We do this by developing a family responsibility plan and presenting your case in court.

After your paternity is accepted by the court, a variety of responsibilities and privileges as the father can be mandated, including:

• Time-sharing and visitation
• Health insurance requirements
• Child support
• Decision-making authority

At The Virga Law Firm, P.A., we understand the importance of parental involvement in your child’s life. Our team is dedicated to helping you establish paternity so you can maintain an active role in your child’s life. We strategize with you to develop a parental responsibility plan and advocate for your rights as a father throughout the legal process.

Contact our office today to speak to one of our family lawyers in Fort Walton Beach: (800) 822-5170.