Paternity
Families come in many different varieties, sizes and customs. Unmarried parents face special challenges when navigating the family court system.
What is a paternity case?
A Michigan paternity case involves parties who may have had a child together but are unmarried. This is area of family law is handled differently than those cases where the parents of a child are married to each other.
I believe that I am the father of a child. What are my rights?
Men who have reason to believe that they are the biological father of a child may file a Complaint for Paternity to request that the Court engage in fact-finding to determine whether the petitioning father is in fact the biological father of a child. Unfortunately, what may sound like a simple process is often complicated by the specific facts of a case. If a man is found by the Court to be the biological father, they may, or may not, be awarded some joint legal and/or physical custody and some parenting time with their child. There are no guarantees, and each case is highly fact-specific.
I have reason to believe that a child for whom I am legally responsible is not mine biologically. What are my rights?
Michigan permits either a mother, an acknowledged father or an alleged father to petition the Court to revoke paternity findings. This action is limited in scope and is time-limited by statute.
