What are the rights of unmarried parents in the United States?

In the United States, unmarried parents have the same rights as married parents when it comes to their children. Unmarried parents both have the right to make decisions for the child in regard to medical care, education, and religious upbringing. Additionally, parents of a child who is not married have equal legal responsibility for the upbringing and support of their child. This means that both parents must financially provide for the child and that both of their incomes are taken into consideration when determining child support. In the state of Indiana, unmarried parents must establish paternity of the child in order for the father to have parental rights and obligations to the child. This can be done voluntarily at the hospital when the child is born or by filing an affidavit of parentage, which is a legal document that establishes paternity. If paternity is not established, then the father has no legal rights or obligations to the child, and is not responsible for providing financial support. The state of Indiana also offers legal assistance in order to help unmarried parents work together to agree on conditions for custody and visitation. This includes providing court ordered mediation, parenting classes, and other services in order to help unmarried parents come to an agreement. Overall, unmarried parents have the same rights and obligations towards their children as married parents do. It is important for unmarried parents to know their rights and to take any necessary steps in order to establish paternity and come to a mutual agreement for custody and visitation orders.

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