Birth Certificates and Paternity Paperwork: What Parents Should Know
Each state in the United States has its own laws regarding when and how a birth certificate and other paternity paperwork for a new baby must be signed. Despite these state-by-state differences, there are several important things for parents to keep in mind when faced with signing these legal documents, especially in circumstances when there may be paternity questions to consider. The following general points are important to consider before signing legal birth forms when paternity may still be in question.
1. Remember that many forms you sign at the hospital after the birth of a child are legal documents. If you have any questions, ask the hospital staff or your social worker for more information. They are there to help you.
2. If you have paternity questions, you may have the option to obtain a DNA test before you sign the birth certificate or paternity forms, even if this means that the forms are not signed at the hospital. Check with the social worker at the hospital for your state’s laws regarding how long parents have to submit birth certificate paperwork, and where paperwork should be submitted if forms are not signed at the hospital.
3. By signing these forms, parents become legally and financially responsible for the child, which means the parents listed on the birth certificate will be held legally responsible for the child’s well being, including child support payments if the parents are unmarried.
4. It can be very difficult to rescind (take back) a signature on any of these legal documents even if paternity is later established and the man listed on the birth forms as “father” is determined to not be the child’s biological father. In fact, in many states, it can be nearly impossible for a man to remove his name from these forms even if a biological relationship is not apparent.
For more detailed information on what to know before signing a child’s birth certificate, please visit www.dnadiagnosticscenter.com. You may also call DDC at 1-800-882-8677 to speak with a case manager confidentially.
This entry was posted
on Tuesday, April 8th, 2008 at 3:51 pm and is filed under DNA Paternity Testing.
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