Parentage

A parentage action is required to legally recognize parental rights of unmarried persons, to establish enforceable custody and visitation schedules, and to ensure that a child receives financial support from the child’s parents.  In some California cases, more than two persons may be determined to be a child’s parents if the court finds that recognizing only two parents would be detrimental to the child.

 

Without a timely Judgment determining parentage, a person may permanently lose any legal standing as a child’s parent and/or a child may go without support. Once parentage is established, a parentage action is similar to a divorce case with regard to how custody and support decisions are determined. In parentage, as in divorce, custody is determined based on the best interest of the child. In parentage, as in divorce, child support is determined by use of the statewide guideline calculations. As a result of the sensitive nature of many parentage cases, unlike in a divorce action, parentage actions may be kept confidential to protect the privacy of the parties and the child.