Whether you are an unwed dad or a father trying to get custody, you face tremendous challenges ahead. It seems like the court and legal system is tailor-made for the female sex. However, this could be due to the fact that most fathers try to navigate the court system on their own without any legal representation or knowledge as to how to approach the situation. While there really is no substitute for the proper legal counsel, there are some tips and information that can help unwed fathers and single dads when trying to get custody or properly pay child support. Below, you will learn about some of this information.
Signing The Birth Certificate
You should keenly be aware of the fact that just because you signed the birth certificate it doesn’t mean that you have legally asserted your rights as a father. The real truth of the matter is that only a court of law can identify your paternity. Simply put, without a court order, you have no right as a father, but you still will be required to pay child support. The only way to ascertain your rights, as a father is to get in touch with a court system and have your paternity confirmed.
Mothers That Seek Government Aide
Being a single mother is extremely hard and even more expensive. This is why most single mothers have to seek financial assistance from the government. Well, as a man you might be surprised to learn that the state can initiate an action against any dad for child support. For instance, when a single mother signs up for assistance she is required by the law to disclose the identity of the father. If she lies about the father or is misleading in any way her support can be denied. Once the state has the true identity of the father, they are going to make sure that you are paying child support at all costs.
Always Keep Records Of Your Payments
If you look anywhere for child support online help, they will tell you that dads can be given credit for a support that is provided before a court date. For instance, if you are separated from the mother and a custody hearing has not taken pace yet and you take your kid shopping for school clothes or anything, make sure that you are keeping track of the receipts, money orders, or credit card statements. The court will view this as child support payments, and credit can be issued.
Child Support Does Not Give You Legal Time With The Child
Just because you are obligated by the court of law to pay child support, it does not mean that you have any rights whatsoever to spend time with your child. In fact, you might be required to pay child support, but not be granted any custody of your child at all. In order to get time-sharing with your child, this has to be granted through a court of law. As you can see, it is easy to understand why most dads feel like they get screwed over in custody battles, but as long as you are prepared ahead of time with the proper information and knowledge, you will do just fine.
