Boston Divorce Lawyer – Boston Divorce & Family Law Attorney Blog

You’ve either voluntary acknowledged your paternity or you have been adjudged to be the parent of a child.  What now?  Being legally recognized as a child’s parent comes with a number of rights and responsibilities.  Key to all of these is one idea:  the best interest of your child.  All children have the same rights when it comes to their parents, regardless of his or her parents’ marital status at the time he or she was born.

Being legally recognized as a child’s parent means that you can now seek visitation with and/or custody of your child.  Until the court enters an order to the contrary, when parents are unwed, the mother has sole physical and legal custody of the child by default.   (If you’re unfamiliar with the difference between physical and legal custody, see my earlier post.)  While a court may be hesitant to change this arrangement (as stability is typically in the best interest of a child), establishing some sort of visitation order shouldn’t be too difficult.  Having a meaningful relationship with both parents benefits a child, and if both parents can get along well enough to work out the best schedule for everybody involved, even better!  Visitation orders can range from a simple statement that the parents will work out something that works to incredibly detailed documents covering a host of provisions, like what time and where visits will take place and who will transport the child.

Along with the right to spend time with your child, being legally recognized as a child’s parent comes with the responsibility of providing your child with financial support.  If you do not have physical custody of your child, the court will enter an order of support outlining the amount of child support and how it will be paid (how often, whether it will be paid directly to the other party or through the Department of revenue, etc.).

With these rights and responsibilities now at your feet, it’s important to at least consult with an attorney so that you can fully understand their scope.

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