Families come in many different forms. Some parents get married and have multiple children together. Other times, people have children outside of traditional marriage. People in non-traditional situations may wonder about what rights they have, especially if the relationship eventually ends.
Unmarried fathers in Pennsylvania typically love their children and want to see them frequently. How can an unmarried father pursue his right to shared custody in Pennsylvania?
Unmarried fathers have to establish paternity
When married parents have children together, the father automatically has his name included on the child’s birth certificate. When the mother of a child is not the wife of the father, the man has to take additional steps.
Frequently, the parents can cooperate to add the man’s name to the birth certificate immediately after the child’s birth. They can also voluntarily cooperate by filling out paperwork together while the child is still a minor. In scenarios where the mother is not eager to acknowledge the father’s paternity, he may need to ask the state for assistance.
The courts can request genetic testing to validate someone’s claim of paternity. If the testing affirms his assertion that he is the biological father of the child, he can add his name to the child’s birth certificate. Once a man has established paternity, he is then in a position to request parental rights and responsibilities.
Unmarried fathers have the same rights as other parents
Once a man has established paternity, Pennsylvania recognizes him as the father of the child. He can then request parenting time and also decision-making authority. The exact distribution of parenting time and decision-making authority depends on a variety of factors.
Contrary to what many men believe, they theoretically have the same rights as mothers and married fathers do under Pennsylvania state statutes. They have a right to regularly spend time with their children and also a right to have a say in their upbringing.
Establishing paternity is often the first step toward more involvement in a child’s life when one is an unmarried father. Men who understand their rights can spend less time wondering whether they should pursue shared custody. Fathers can play a very important role in the lives of their children when they know and make use of their rights.