Paternity

Columbia, Missouri Family Law Lawyer Providing Experienced Legal Help in Paternity Actions

Are you being ordered to submit to a paternity test for the purpose of establishing child support? Do you need assistance proving who your child's father is and to establish child support obligations?

The Pingelton Law Firm, in Columbia, Missouri, can provide straightforward advice and guidance in paternity actions. With more than 20 years of legal experience, attorney Dan Pingelton can evaluate your concerns quickly and help you determine an appropriate approach for moving forward. He can also answer your questions about paternity test reliability and other concerns.

Fathers' Rights and Paternity

When a child is born to married parents, the husband is presumed to be the child's father. In cases where the parents are unmarried, unless the father voluntarily signs an acknowledgement of paternity, a formal action must be filed with the court to determine paternity (called an "action for declaration of paternity").

Once legal paternity is established, a child custody order will be put into place — and the father can also pursue child custody and visitation rights. If he is proved not to be the father, any child support case against him will be dismissed.

In some situations, a paternity action may arise out of divorce where the presumed father has become aware of an affair and suspects a child is not truly his. A simple DNA test can provide answers.

Paternity Tests

DNA testing is presumed to be an accurate measurement. If the paternity test has a result of 98 percent or higher likelihood of parentage, paternity will be presumed and an order of paternity will be made by the court. A paternity test will be required if either party requests one.

At the Pingelton Law Firm, we represent both mothers and fathers in paternity actions. Contact us by e-mail to schedule a free initial consultation with attorney Dan Pingelton, or call (573) 355-9249.