Paternity, or determining fatherhood legally, is a complicated and usually emotionally charged area of the law. In South Africa, paternity lawyers are viewed as legal professionals whom you can consult with to navigate your way. The lawyers play a significant role in protecting the rights of the alleged father, mother, and the child. Their work is not limited to DNA testing, but offers a wide range of legal services that promise a fair and square outcome.Benita Ardenbaum Attorneys
Have you been in a similar struggle, and people have asked you to hire a paternity lawyer, but you don’t know much about them? No worries, this blog will discuss.
Establish Paternity
One of the major functions a paternity attorney does is they help establish paternity in a legal way. This is necessary for a bunch of reasons, including getting a child’s right to financial support, like their maintenance, upbringing, inheritance, and a legal relationship with the father.
The family lawyer will guide you on how to obtain a court order for a DNA test, which is the way to prove or disprove a biological link between the child and the father. They make sure to conduct the test in a genuine and accredited laboratory for the results to be legally sound and admissible in court.
Once the biological link is verified, the lawyer assists in securing the child’s rights. This step involves drafting and issuing a maintenance order stating that the father financially provides for the child’s well-being.
Apart from that, the lawyer also helps the father in obtaining his parental responsibilities and rights, which may revolve around care, contact, and guardianship of the little one.
Handles Disputes
Paternity cases are not always about divorces. These lawyers even represent clients who want to contest a paternity claim or have been the victims of paternity fraud. In South Africa, the fraud occurs when the man is misled into believing that he is the real father of the child. If the man suspects, the paternity lawyer can assist in applying to the court to remove his name from the child’s birth certificate and terminate all parental responsibilities.
The lawyer gathers proof to represent you in court and present the evidence. They even work to shield clients’ rights while also guaranteeing that the case will be handled seriously.
Whenever you need assistance from paternity lawyers, feel free to reach out to BAA. They have experts and can represent you in court.
Frequently Asked Questions
What if I suspect I am not the biological father?
If you have reason to believe you are not the biological father of a child, a family law attorney can help you contest the paternity claim.
Can a family law attorney help with child maintenance issues?
Once paternity is legally established, a family law attorney can assist with drafting and enforcing a maintenance order.
