What are the legal issues related to the legal recognition of paternity?

In Washington, legal issues related to the recognition of paternity can be complex. In the State of Washington, a man may be legally established as the father of a child in three ways: by marriage, by signing a Voluntary Acknowledgment of Paternity form, or by going to court and having either a voluntary or adversarial adjudication of paternity. The effect of legally recognizing paternity can be far-reaching. Legally established paternity means that the father is responsible for the financial support of the child, and also provides the child with certain rights such as inheritance and access to family medical history. These rights are important and can be difficult to obtain if paternity is not legally recognized. The Voluntary Acknowledgment of Paternity form allows unmarried fathers to establish their legal status as the biological father of the child. However, this form is only valid if it is signed by both biological parents, and must be signed at the time the child is born. This form is available from hospitals, local health departments, the Office of the State Registrar, or any Support Enforcement Agency. Adversarial and voluntary adjudication of paternity are both processes that are monitored by the court. Voluntary agreement of paternity can be filed with the court, while adversarial agreement of paternity must be established in court with the assistance of attorneys. In either case, the court will require genetic tests to verify paternity and will issue an order of support and parentage dependent on the results. Finally, if you are married and are not the biological father of the child, you may be able to disestablish paternity through a process called disestablishment of paternity. This process is often complex, and it is recommended to seek the assistance of a family law attorney.

What are the legal issues related to the legal recognition of paternity?

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