When a couple have a newborn together but are not married, only the mother can sign their infant’s birth certificate in New Jersey. This act makes their parental rights and duties for their infant legally established.
To help the father gain the same rights as the mother, he must first work towards establishing their paternity. If you are going through a similar situation, here are three key insights about paternity establishment in the state that you should know about.
How can I establish paternity?
In New Jersey, fathers can establish their paternity for free if they do it before they leave the hospital. To begin the process, you and your girlfriend must fill in a certificate of parentage together and submit it to a birth certificate coordinator.
The coordinator will then ask for each of your valid IDs and witness both of you signing your document. This act officially adds your legal name into your infant’s birth certificate.
What happens after paternity establishment?
After paternity establishment, you gain your rights as the father to your infant and share the same parental responsibilities with the mother or your girlfriend. This also means that your child can have two legal parents who can help ensure that they get to grow up in a financially secure and stable environment.
With the establishment of your parental rights, you also provide your child with access to your medical history, health insurance and social security benefits.
What if I am not sure that I am the father?
If you are uncertain that you are the infant’s biological father, you must refrain from signing a certificate of parentage until you take a DNA test. There are many labs within the state that offer DNA testing for paternity establishment.
If the test result shows a match of 95% or higher, the court can issue an order of paternity in your case. After this process, you can add your legal name to your infant’s birth certificate.
However, it is important to note that if you and your girlfriend do not agree to live in the same household, the court may order you to pay child support for your infant until they turn 18 years old or beyond (in some circumstances).
The gift of parenthood
When you establish paternity, you can be the kind of father that you have always dreamed of becoming for your child. Entering parenthood is not only a priceless experience but also a selfless act of commitment to another tiny human being that you get to call your own.
