The establishment of paternity influences many aspects of the parents’ lives and the lives of the children involved. Missouri parents need to understand just what will or can happen after paternity is established. This includes how paternity will impact their own rights because it will open the door to obligations they may not have thought of beforehand.

Legal orders of support can be established once paternity is established. This will include a child support order. Other forms of financial support may also be ordered as a result, such as past expenses related to the child. This can even include birthing expenses.

Aside from financial changes, paternity can open the door to legal rights for the parent, including rights to see the child and make important decisions regarding the child. Legal and physical custody rights can be pursued once paternity is settled. The amount of time a parent is allotted to spend with the child can vary greatly depending on what the parents want to pursue and the individual circumstances regarding the family in general.

Before or after a child is born, the establishment of paternity is important on both a legal and personal level for families. Anyone who is involved in either proving paternity of a child or fighting paternity needs to be aware of the legal documents that may be involved and what signing any legal documents really means for them, the other parent and the child involved. Missouri residents may feel overwhelmed and confused about paternity rights and obligations for both the short term and long term. Our website can help shed some light on paternity issues in general.