Establishment of paternity can be necessary for a myriad of reasons. In Minnesota, there are two ways to establish the fatherhood of a child—establishing the biological or legal father can help strengthen the bond that exists between child and parent. Once paternity is established and the resolution process of associated issues has begun, involved parties often seek the certainty of a Recognition of Paternity (ROP). Read Full Post
“Paternity” is defined as the “legal” father of a child. As the legal father, he is obliged to financially support that child until the child reaches adulthood at the age of eighteen. In some cases, the father may have to request a court appearance to schedule parenting time and custody of the child.
In the state of Minnesota, when the child is born and the father is present during the birth, it is at that time, both parents will have signed a Recognition of Parentage. Recognition of Parentage establishes paternity for the purposes of child support. Unless ordered by the Court, the father has no legal binding rights to that child. When a parenting plan is reached between the two parents, it is then in the hands of the Court until the agreement is apart of the Court order. Read Full Post
