What is a putative father?

A putative father is a legal term used in Washington that refers to a man who may be the father of a child, but has not had his paternity legally established. This means that the man is not the legal father of the child, but there is a chance that he is the biological parent. In Washington, a man can be legally appointed as a putative father if he has had an established relationship with the mother of the child. This includes having married the mother before the child was born, cohabitating with the mother before the child was born, or acknowledging paternity in writing. Once a man is designated as the putative father, he has several rights. These include the right to be notified if the mother is considering adoption or if someone else is trying to gain parental rights to the child. The putative father also has the right to seek a court order for a paternity test and to pursue legal actions to gain parental rights. In some cases, a court may also order child support for a child whose putative father has been established. This may happen if the mother of the child is determined to be unable to provide financial support for the child. In summary, a putative father is a legal term used in Washington that refers to a man who may be the biological father of a child, but has not had his paternity legally established.

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What is a putative father?

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