Three Major Reasons Unwed Fathers Should Legally Establish Their Paternity

Unwed Father

In a recent blog post, we discussed two ways California courts establish paternity. In today’s blog, we’re looking at paternity from another angle — why you would want to legally establish your paternity.

Unwed fathers are faced with a choice. They can take action or they can choose not to. Either way, they’re still their child’s father and some argue that that’s enough and that they don’t need their name to appear on their child’s birth certificate in order to be a good, involved dad. While that may be true, unwed fathers who don’t take the steps to establish their paternity lose out on some major benefits.

  1. Asserting your right to be involved in decisions regarding your child.

A big part of parenting is decision-making. Parents must decide where to send their children to school. They can grant their children permission to take part in special activities or deny this permission when they think the activity is too risky. Parents make medical decisions on behalf of their children as well. What kind of treatment will they receive if they are ill or injured? Your child’s mother may allow you to partake in these decisions, but if she doesn’t or if you disagree, you need legal paternity to assert your right to be involved in decision-making regarding your child.

  1. Give your child access to your benefits.

Do you have health insurance provided through your employer? You need legal paternity for your child to be included in your policy. You also need legal paternity if you want your child to benefit from your life insurance if you pass away or if you want them to inherit assets from you if you die without an estate plan in place.

  1. Important information for your child’s doctors.

Establishing legal paternity also allows your child’s doctors to access their genetic history on your side of the family. This information can give them insight as to certain disorders and diseases your child may be at risk of developing. They can take preventative measures to keep your child safe and will know what to look out for.

Establishing legal paternity might take a little effort, but, as you can see, the benefits far outweigh the hassle. If you’re ready to establish your paternity, the Writer Law team can help. We can also answer your questions if you need more information to make your decisions. Our team has extensive experience dealing with these matters. We encourage you to contact us today!