In general, you are presumed to be the legal and biological father of a child if you and the child’s mother are or have been married to each other, and the child is born or conceived during such a marriage. You are also presumed to be the father if you and the mother signed a voluntary acknowledgment of paternity, or if a court previously entered a court or administrative order declaring you to be the father, or if your name is on the birth certificate.

If there is a question regarding who the father of your child is, ask the court for a paternity test based on DNA.

If you were not married to the mother of your child when your child was conceived or born, you are not your child’s legal father unless (a) a court or an administrative law judge has determined that you are the child’s father and made a finding of paternity; or (b) you and the mother signed a voluntary acknowledgment of paternity.

To download the full Guide for Parents in Juvenile Neglect Cases Booklet, please click here.