How Legal Paternity is Defined and Established in Florida

Tampa family law attorney, establishing paternity

Paternity is defined as the state of being a father; fatherhood.  In Florida, fatherhood or legal paternity is established with a blood test. Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism (RFLP) or a procedure called a Buccal scrap are two types of DNA testing, used to determine the percentage of likelihood that a man is the biological father of a child. 

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Establishment of Paternity / Obtaining an Order to Establish Paternity in Tampa Bay, Florida

Attorney Sanchez is a paternity attorney located in Tampa, FL. Our Law Firm has successfully represented clients in paternity cases for over 30 years. Familiar with Florida laws that govern the establishment of paternity, Mr. Sanchez provides his clients with sound legal counsel which is imperative prior to obtaining assistance from a parent or petitioning the courts for assistance with child support, child custody or timeshare and other relief related to the minor child.

Establishing paternity is important if you are an unmarried couple with children. Paternity must be established prior to obtaining an order for child support or child custody or time sharing and the courts govern matters of paternity under Florida statutes.

Consulting with a Tampa Bay Paternity Lawyer

For information about petitioning the Florida courts for a paternity order, call Tampa paternity attorney, Nilo J Sanchez and Associates. If you have received a petition to establish paternity,  child support, timesharing and custody, it is highly beneficial to  consult with a Family Law Attorney in Tampa Bay prior to submitting your answers which must be done in a timely manner.  The attorneys at Nilo J Sanchez  & Associates represent fathers and mothers who need an aggressive child custody lawyer in Tampa.  We represent parents who want the best child custody lawyer for their needs in Hillsborough County, or for those who need a paternity attorney in Pasco & Pinellas County, Florida.

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In Florida, unmarried parents must establish legal paternity before child support and custody/visitation (time-sharing) can be determined by a Court.

  • Unmarried Parents – For the purposes of establishing the identity of the father of children who are born out of wedlock a paternity action must be filed with the courts.
    Read: Florida Custody Rights Unmarried Parents
  • Paternity/Divorcing with Minor Children – In Florida, it is presumed by the courts that children who are conceived to married couples have already established paternity.
    Read: Establishing Legal Paternity

If you have doubts regarding the paternity of a child, and a paternity lawsuit has been filed against you in Tampa Bay, our law firm can help you challenge this in court. For information or, to schedule a consultation, please call our office or leave us a secure message below.

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