Paternity

When a child is born to unmarried parents, legal recognition of paternity is not automatic. The father must sign a document (Acknowledgment of Paternity) confirming he is the child's father. Paternity can also be determined through a court proceeding where the father either admits paternity or it is proven through DNA testing.

You might be wondering why you even need to have paternity established. In some states, paternity must be established to include the father's name on the birth certificate. If you want to create a custody agreement now or in the future, paternity must be established first.

You can see a sample Acknowledgment of Paternity form here. Remember that these forms are state specific, so you need to use the form created by your state.