Paternity Affidavit Law and Legal Definition
Paternity affidavit is a document that provides parents with a way of formally acknowledging paternity of a child.
If parents are married at the time of a child?s birth, the husband is generally legally recognized as the father of the child. However, if the parents are not married paternity needs to be formally recognized in order to secure the father?s rights. This can be done by filing a paternity case or by recording a paternity affidavit with the appropriate government office. By establishing paternity a child can receive a number of legal benefits such as inheritance rights from the father as well as government, medical, and life insurance benefits.
Paternity affidavits vary from one jurisdiction to another. Usually it requires information about the mother, the father, and the child. Both the parents should sign the document and it should be notarized. By signing the document, the parties agree that the statements they have made are true. Most jurisdictions allow a time period within which a paternity affidavit can be contested. A person who is entitled to object to the affidavit can do so by filing a paternity case.
