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Why Is Establishing Parentage Important to a Child?

When we think of establishing parentage, we often think of a mother desiring to establish paternity — that is, the legal acknowledgment of the father of her baby. The mother’s motivation is often to be able to obtain a child support order that requires the father to pay money to the mother for support of the child. The court does not monitor how the mother spends the child support money she receives. Spending the money on rent, utilities, gas, car loans and other expenses provide benefits to the child that the mother and other family members also benefit from.

So it is not surprising that a mother would want to establish paternity. But have you ever considered why a child would want to?  In other words, what are the benefits to the child of establishing parentage?

Legally identifying a child’s father in Florida has many advantages for children. In addition to the financial benefits that come from child support, establishing paternity:

  • Provides legal documentation of the identity of both parents, including having the father’s name on the birth certificate
  • Protects the child’s right to inherit from either parent
  • Protects the child’s right to receive Social Security benefits and veteran’s benefits, if qualified.

If you need to establish or challenge parentage in Florida, make sure you are well-represented by an experienced Jacksonville, Florida family law attorney who understands the law and legal procedures necessary.

Attorney Shane Herbert also contributed to this blog post.

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