Creve Coeur & O'Fallon, MO Paternity Attorneys

Paternity issues usually arise in three situations: when a mother wants the presumed father of her child to help financially support the child; when a putative father wants to have legal and physical custody rights to his child; and when a father under an administrative duty of child support, perhaps because the mother did no more than list his name on the birth certificate, wants to challenge his status as the father of the child.

If you find yourself in any of these family law situations, The Marks Law Firm, L.L.C. can help.

Both mothers and fathers have time issues to consider, as the law places time limits to claim all financial support dating not only to the time of birth but also for pregnancy-related expenses, and also on the time to challenge parentage. Only an experienced attorney can advise you as to the applicability of these time limits to your particular case.

If parentage becomes a disputed issue, the court will likely require DNA testing to establish whether a putative father is in fact the natural father of the child or children at issue.

Once a party files a paternity action, that party can seek an order of financial support alone, or also orders with regard to legal and physical custody. Judgments with regard to child custody and support in a paternity case follow the same standards used to make those decisions in a dissolution of marriage action.

Family Law Attorneys in Creve Coeur & O’Fallon, MO

As you can see from the issues to resolve, the process is not just a short set of simple, self-executing rules, but involves many complex and often difficult questions of proof. Only a skilled and experienced attorney can properly advise you as to your rights with regard to paternity, custody, and support and protect those rights in a legal proceeding.

At The Marks Law Firm, L.L.C, we have over fifty years of combined experience handling family law matters. We help individuals understand their rights with regard to all issues, including paternity, custody, and support. We have handled hundreds of trials before family court judges; if you choose The Marks Law Firm, L.L.C., you will have the benefit of a divorce attorney unafraid to go to court, advocate on your behalf and fully present your case.