Mother’s carry their children to term so we know who they are. However, the identity of the father may not be obvious.
Paternity Proceedings
Paternity actions are designed to establish who is the father of the child. These proceedings are brought in the Family Court in the county where the child resides.
If a mother brings a paternity proceeding against the father in the Family Court, the father can either consent to a ruling he is the biological father or he can challenge the mother’s request to have him named as the biological father. If the father disputes the mother’s claim the Family Court will order DNA testing to determine whether he is the biological father of the child. The DNA testing is in more than 99.99% accurate with regard to establishing whether the man who is the subject of the paternity proceeding is the actual biological father of the child.
DNA Testing
If the DNA testing comes back with a negative result indicating the father does not share DNA with the child, the paternity proceeding will be dismissed. If the DNA test comes back with a positive result the court will enter an order of filiation establishing the man is the legal father of the child. In this situation the father would then be 
entitled to visitation and/or possibly asking for custody of the child. The downside is the father will then be obligated to provide child support for the child. In addition to basic child support obligations the father may also be required to provide medical insurance for the child.
The law offices of Schlissel DeCorpo LLP have been representing clients in paternity cases throughout the Metropolitan New York area for man than 45 years.
