Child Support and Paternity in Utah

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CHILD SUPPORT AND PATERNITY IN UTAH
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CHILD SUPPORT AND PATERNITY IN UTAH
The term paternity means fatherhood. When a
child is born to a married couple in Utah, the
husband and wife are automatically legally
considered the parents of the child. Both members
of the couple have the same rights and
obligations when it comes to the child under Utah
law. However, when the childs parents are not
married, the couple needs to take extra steps to
ensure that the man is legally considered the
father of the child. A family law attorney can be
a great resource throughout this process.
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PATERNITY AND CHILD SUPPORT
A mother can only ask for child support from the
father if the man has been legally established as
the father of the child. Without this
determination, the mother must forego this
potential benefit. If the mother applies for
child support services, the State of Utah may be
able to help her establish paternity. She can get
an Administrative Paternity Order from the Office
of Recovery Services (ORS) after paternity
verification.
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VOLUNTARY PATERNITY RECOGNITION

• Many couples who want to raise their child
  together, even if they are not dating, will go
  through a voluntary paternity process. The couple
  can sign a Declaration of Paternity to establish
  that both parents have rights and obligations
  regarding the child. You can find these forms by
  contacting
• The hospital or facility where the child was born
• Local health departments
• The Office of Vital Records and Statistics

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VOLUNTARY PATERNITY RECOGNITION
Parents can also change the childs last name on
his or her birth certificate through the VPD
process as long as the child is under the age of
six. Either parent can also file a petition in
court to establish paternity. The other parent
may choose not to contest the request. If there
is a paternity contest, however, the father and
child may have to undergo blood or genetic
testing to determine paternity.
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GETTING HELP WITH PATERNITY AND CHILD SUPPORT
If you want to get child support or you want to
establish paternity for any other reason, having
an experienced Salt Lake City divorce attorney to
help can be an invaluable resource. Contact Emy
A. Cordano, Attorney at Law by calling
801-804-5152 for a case review or further
information.
http//www.cor-law.com/contact-us.html
6465 S 3000 E, Suite 103, Salt Lake City, Utah,
84121