When it comes to the subject of unmarried parents and their rights in a custody case, there is a great deal of unsubstantiated knowledge and misinformation being circulated. If you want to find out the facts, contact The Seattle Family Law Group.
We have represented a vast amount of unmarried fathers and mothers living in the Seattle area. Your child deserves the best future possible, and is entitled to the same rights as children with married parents.
So how does the court view children of unmarried parents?
In the state of Washington, a father does not have parental rights until he has proved his parenthood through a paternity test. In some cases, paternity may be acknowledged by signing his name on the birth certificate.
If the paternity of the father has been established, he is entitled to the same rights as a married father. This same father may be required to pay child support and has visitation rights. A mother is entitled to collect child support after she has established the paternity of the father, which can be accomplished by filing a paternity action with the court.
The Seattle Family Law Gropu has decades of combined experience in helping unmarried parents, and we’re well aware of how difficult and painful a separation can be when children are involved. We’re also sensitive to the question of mutual property, and how it must be divided.
Contact a Seattle family lawyer from our firm today if you would like to find out how you can proceed with your unmarried partner.
