The Law Offices of Susan Parnell Wilson represents mothers and fathers as they seek to sort through parental rights and paternity issues.
Illinois Paternity Attorney
Fathers' Rights
If you are married to the mother of your child, you are generally presumed to be the birth father unless tests prove otherwise. If you and the mother are unmarried, however, you should consider, carefully, the role you wish to play in the child's life. If you do not take the proper steps in the correct timeline, the road to establishing that you are the father will be much harder later.
- Name yourself as the father on the child's birth certificate.
- Sign a voluntary acknowledgement of paternity (VAP) at the time of birth.
- Legally seek custody of the child or visitation rights early in the life of the child.
- Request to be added to the Illinois Putative Father Registry.
These steps will help you establish paternity now and avoid many pitfalls that arise if too much time passes before attempting to do so. If you are seeking paternity now, however, and were not aware of these steps in the past, we can help you establish that you are the father. You are entitled to a DNA test in most situations. Once paternity is established, you may seek to be granted all parental rights afforded under the law.
Mothers' Rights
If you are seeking to establish the paternity of your child's father, we can help with the process, as well as seeking the child support needed. If the father is the one seeking to establish paternity and gain parental rights, we are prepared to represent your interests as the custodial parent in custody and visitation disputes. If you wish to pursue minimal or no visitation, the Law Offices of Susan Parnell Wilson can review the issue with you and help defend your interests and your reasons for seeking this result, if it is warranted.
Belleville Parental Rights Attorney
The rights of a parent may be terminated if the custodial parent proves extreme abuse or neglect of the child by the other parent. Other factors include abandonment, mental illness, drug or alcohol dependence issues or a general failure to support the children.
If you are facing challenging parental rights concerns or visitation denial, Law Offices of Susan Parnell Wilson can help. For a consultation with skilled lawyers, please call us today at 888-449-9575.
Law Offices of Susan Parnell Wilson
14 South Second Street
Belleville, IL 62220
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Toll Free: (888) 449-9575
Telephone: (618) 207-4187
Fax: (618) 235-1617
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