If my son’s father never signed the birth certificate, does he have parental rights?
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If my son’s father never signed the birth certificate, does he have parental rights?
If so, how do I go about getting him signing away his parental rights since he has been absent since the beginning?
Asked on June 30, 2015 under Family Law, California
Answers:
M.D., Member, California and New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 8 years ago | Contributor
I know that his father is not on the birth certificste but where you married when your son was born? If, so he may have rights. If, however, you were not married at that time, the general rule of law is that if a father's name is not on the birth certificate he has no legal rights to the child. This means that while the father has no rights to custody or visitation, he also has no duty or obligation to the child such as paying child support.
That all having been said, depending on all of the circumstances, the father could at later date try to establish parental rights. Although given his absence that effort may not prove successful.
The fact is that you would be well advised to consult directly with an attorney who specializes in custody cases. They can best advise you furtehr according to specific state law.
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