Paternity Issues In Kane, DuPage & Cook County

HELPING CLIENTS GET FAIR RIGHTS IN PATERNITY ISSUES

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Outside of marriage, and on rare occasions even within a marital situation, there can be compelling questions about parentage and who is responsible for and has the right to take on what role.  Whether you are a father seeking to exercise your paternal rights with your child, a parent seeking legal counsel for terminating parental rights in cases of abuse or neglect, or a parent in need of child support in a difficult economy, Illinois law can provide meaningful answers.

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Attorney Viviana Ramirez can help you put those laws to work for you.  Our firm is experienced and equipped to help parents across the Chicago area protect their rights and their relationships with their children.

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WHEN YOU NEED CLEAR AND ENFORCEABLE RULES

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Often unmarried parents come to informal agreements, and you have to rely on the goodwill of the other person to hold up their end of the bargain.  In other situations the other parent is completely uninterested in coming to an agreement, or in some cases even acknowledging that a child is theirs.

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If a father was not listed on the birth certificate and did not sign a VAP (Voluntary Acknowledgment of Paternity) then the first step may be proving parentage.  Whether you are a father seeking custody and visitation (parental allocation) rights with your child or a parent seeking support, the first step is always establishing paternity.

 

Once paternity is established, whether through documentation or DNA testing, your case is handled under the same set of laws that divorce couples use, the IMDMA (Illinois Marriage and Dissolution of Marriage Act).  We every day to stay at the forefront of family law and divorce legislation, and we can put that current and comprehensive legal thinking behind your case.

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WORKING TO PROTECT YOUR PARENTAL RIGHTS