There is an old saying “Mama’s baby, papa’s maybe,” which certainly seems to be the case in a lot of paternity suits. At times, there may be some confusion as to who is the father of a child. Of course, some women know for sure who the father is, but he refuses to believe it, for one reason or another. Unfortunately, at such times, the mother may have to take the father to court to prove paternity. A Paternity Lawyer in Hillsboro MO represents clients who are having a hard time either proving the father, or the would be father proving that he isn’t.
Establishing the paternity is one way to ensure that the father is the legal father of a child. The father’s name will go on record on the child’s birth certificate. When it is unclear if the man being charged with being the father is actually the father, a genetic or DNA test can be ordered. Under Missouri law, if the genetic testing shows a 98 percent probability of the man being the father, that is enough to establish paternity.
Until the actual paternity has been identified, the father cannot be charged with paying child support. Once it has been established, though, the father becomes legally obligated to care for the child until the child reaches adulthood. Failure to do so will cost the father penalties, such as time in jail. If the father falls behind on child support payments, he may also be taken to jail for that until he can come up with a satisfactory amount that will get him released. Either parent can initiate a paternity suit, if there is a question about it.
The Wegmann Law Firm has been providing legal solutions for clients in Hillsboro, Missouri and the surrounding area for more than 70 years. The areas of practice are personal injury, workers’ compensation, criminal law, business law, real estate law, estate and probate law, and insurance law, as well as child issues, such as paternity suits. If any clients need to consult with a Paternity Lawyer in Hillsboro MO, the law firm is available.
