Can I write the name of my child’s father on the birth certificate to establish paternity?

You cannot name a father on your child’s birth certificate without the father’s permission or proof of paternity. If your child’ father wishes to claim paternity, both of you will need to sign an Acknowledgement of Paternity form, which can be obtained from the hospital or Health Department. If you are married when the child is born, you husband will be assumed to be the child’s father.

If your child’s father is not interested in claiming paternity, you may need to file a paternity suit. A court will likely order him to take a genetic test, which will establish his relationship to the child. If he is the biological father, his name will be added to the birth certificate.

To learn more about parental rights for both mothers and fathers, call an Orlando paternity lawyer from the Schlegel Law Group at 407-648-0280.