Proudly Serving South Bend Families From All Walks Of Life

Clarifying Paternity

Whether you are looking to establish paternity or to dispute it, advice and action from a family law attorney can be necessary for you to make an informed decision that is best for your wants and goals. Longstreet Law LLC in South Bend serves the whole St. Joseph County area with family law matters, including paternity issues.

Advice For Sound Decisions

There are times when you are caught up in a situation that is emotional, yet you need to make a rational decision that will have a lasting impact. Full awareness of the rights and responsibilities of signing a paternity affidavit is vital. Signing a paternity affidavit can grant:

  • Parenting time
  • Child support responsibility
  • Possible child custody

A consultation with an experienced family law lawyer such as Laura Longstreet is a recommended step. She can represent your interests and defend your rights whether you choose to mediate to establish a co-parenting agreement or initiate a paternity action in court.

Invalidating Paternity

It is a challenging prospect to discover that you are not the biological father of a child that is considered your legal child. If you were previously ordered to pay child support in a divorce decree, it could be challenging to overturn a designation of paternity. In this type of situation, we will work hard to represent your rights and best interests zealously.

If you have signed a paternity affidavit at the time a child is born, believing that you are the father of that child, and later learn that might not be true, there are strict timelines at play to challenge the validity of that paternity affidavit. Indiana law provides that you must file an action in a court with jurisdiction over paternity to request an order for a genetic test within 60 days of the date that the paternity affidavit was executed. Reach out to Attorney Laura Longstreet today to help guide you through that challenging process.

Reach Us Today

Whether you want to pursue establishing paternity with your child or want to know what the legal options are in your situation, we can assist you. Give Longstreet Law LLC a call at 574-208-5982 or contact us with this online form.