My ex-partner has acknowledged paternity, does that automatically make him the legal father?

Generally speaking, in West Virginia, an acknowledgement of paternity does not necessarily make a person a legal father. The acknowledgement of paternity must be legally established in court for paternity to be legally determined. A court order must be issued in order to establish a person as the legal father of a child. In West Virginia, a man must sign an Acknowledgment of Paternity (AOP) in order for him to be considered a legal father. An AOP is a legal document that is voluntary and must be signed in the presence of a witness, such as a notary public. Following the signing of the AOP, the local Bureau of Vital Statistics will enter the father’s name on the birth certificate. However, signing the AOP does not establish paternity and does not give the father any legal rights or responsibilities. For the father to establish legal paternity, he must then file a court petition that requests the court to recognize him as the legal father. The court will then decide whether or not he should be legally recognized as the father. In West Virginia, an Acknowledgement of Paternity is the first step in establishing paternity. It does not, however, make the man the legal father of the child. The father must then take legal action to establish paternity in order to gain full legal rights and responsibilities.

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My ex-partner has acknowledged paternity, does that automatically make him the legal father?

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