When a child is brought into the world by unmarried parents who wish to no longer have any relations with one another, the custody of their child needs to be established so that he or she has the opportunity to build a relationship with both of their parents. Florida court encourages both parents to develop a healthy and consistent relationship with their child and this can be done when a custody agreement is established.

What is the first step in getting a child custody agreement established when the parents aren’t married?

The first step in getting a child custody agreement created when two people are no longer in a relationship but have a child together is to get paternity established. This can be done in a number of ways. The first is at the time of the child’s birth or thereafter and by signing an Acknowledgment of Paternity. When both parents sign this form, they are “swearing that they are the natural parents of the child.” After signing this form, either parent holds the right to cancel the acknowledgment within 60 days and if neither do so, after the 60 days has passed, paternity is legally established under the laws of Florida, according to Florida Health.

After the Office of Vital Statistics receives this form, a new birth certificate shall be issued naming both individuals as the parents of the child.

The next way paternity can be established is through a court order. If one or both parents don’t wish to sign the Acknowledgment of Paternity form, either party can request that the court order a paternity a test which will prove the father is, in fact, the biological parent of the child. There are times where the mother of the child doesn’t want to identity her child’s father or instances when the father of the child doesn’t wish to be recognized. If either circumstance arise, the court can order the noncompliant party to provide a DNA sample so that paternity can be established.

What happens once paternity is established?

After the court has identified the biological parents of the child, a request for a child custody order can be submitted. Now, a child custody agreement can be made in one of two ways. Either both of the parents of the child can come to an agreement on how they will divide up their time with their child or the court will reach an agreement for them. It all comes down to how cooperative the parents are in in getting a shared parenting time agreement created. In the event the court must reach an agreement on child custody, it will consider what’s in the best interest of the child when doing so.

Now, if you live in Hollywood, FL and would like to get a custody agreement established even though you and your child’s other parent were not married, contact The Law Offices of Jodie Bassichis, P.A. to learn more about how our office can help you accomplish this. It is always a good idea to retain a Hollywood, FL family law attorney when dealing with these types of circumstances as it can be rather confusing navigating the court system alone and with no guidance. So, if you could benefit from some legal advice concerning establishing paternity and getting a child custody order created, contact our office now.

The Law Offices of Jodie Bassichis, P.A. is located at:

Jodie Bassichis, PA

4700 Sheridan Street, Suite J

Hollywood, Florida 33021

(954) 963-7300

jbassichislaw@gmail.com

www.FloridaDivorceSource.com