If you are a new parent but are not married to your child’s mother, Wisconsin family law provides several ways to make the father-child relationship official. Legal options are available for you to establish paternity with or without a wedding. Here’s how to prove fatherhood and give your little one the security, inheritance rights, and child support they deserve.  

How Can You Get Father Status Under Wisconsin Family Law?

1. Acknowledgment of Marital Child

You can sign a Legitimation form to establish paternity if you marry the other parent after the infant’s birth.

The form is available at Wisconsin’s Office of Vital Records and local child support agencies. To complete the process, you and your spouse must sign the form, get it notarized, include the appropriate fee, and mail it to the state’s Vital Records Office. 

2. Voluntary Paternity Acknowledgement

If you and the child’s other parent are at least 18 years old and know for sure you are the father, the Voluntary Paternity Acknowledgment form lets you establish the legal relationship without court involvement.

The best time to file the form is as soon as possible after the baby is born. However, if you are not sure who the father is, do not sign this form. Ask the local child support agency for DNA testing and wait for the results.

3. Court Hearing

If the mother and father disagree about who the father is, one of the parents can bring the issue to court for a paternity hearing. The child’s mother and the alleged father receive a notice and the opportunity to attend the hearing.

The court has the authority to name the father even if the man does not attend the hearing. When the alleged father does attend, the court informs him of his rights and obligations. A man can request DNA testing to prove that he is or is not the child’s birth parent.

If you want to establish your child’s paternity, seek help from the family law attorneys at Guillien Van Nuland, LLC. With more than 50 years of combined experience, they represent clients in the La Crosse, WI, area, including Monroe, Vernon, Trempealeau, Crawford, Juneau, and Buffalo counties. These family lawyers also serve individuals throughout Houston, Fillmore, and Winona counties in Minnesota. Visit them online to learn more about their work, or call (608) 782-4411 to schedule a consultation.