In Minnesota there are several scenarios under which a man is presumed to be a child’s father. For example, if the man is married to the child’s mother then it is presumed that he is the father. Also, if the child is not an adult and the man holds the child out as his offspring and allows the child to live in his home, then the man will also be presumed to be the child’s father. There are other established presumptions of paternity that readers may discuss with their family law attorneys.
However, there are also situations where the paternity of a child may be somewhat ambiguous. If, for example, the child’s mother is unsure of the identity of the child’s father or if the man never had any type of role in the child’s life, then he may be asked to establish if he is a parent to the youth. Establishing paternity requires a man to undergo some form of DNA testing to demonstrate if he shares biological information with the child in question.
Once a man is proven to be a biological parent to a child he may develop some rights with regards to the child. He may be able to seek physical custody of the child or visitation time with the child, so that they might establish a relationship. He may be entitled to pursue legal custody of the child which would allow him to be involved in the important decision-making processes about how the child is raised. Conversely, if a man is proven to be a child’s father he may be asked to provide child support for the care and maintenance of the child.
There are other rights a father may experience after proving that he is biologically connected to his child. Establishing paternity can be a man’s first step to establishing a relationship with his child. Initiating a paternity case is a process that Minnesota fathers may do with the help of family law attorneys.
Source: Findlaw, “Fathers’ Rights,” Accessed Dec. 22, 2016
