On behalf of Stange Law Firm, PC posted in child support on Saturday, October 29, 2016.
From extracurricular expenses to buying food and covering a child’s medical needs, raising children is often financially demanding for custodial parents. In Jackson County, and across the entire state of Missouri, it is essential for parents to focus on securing an outcome that is in the best interests of the child. For some, this may include establishing paternity and seeking child support.
According to the Missouri Courts, each parent is required to support his or her child under both state and federal laws. By establishing paternity, a child is given a legal father and may enjoy a number of benefits, such as rights to inheritance, family health records and child support. Frequently, raising a child involves numerous financial commitments and children require assistance from both parents.
There are different ways that paternity is established, according to the Missouri Department of Social Services. For those who are unsure of paternity, free tests are available. Those who move forward with DNA testing will have to take mouth swabs, which are sent to labs for analysis. However, paternity is also established at the time of a child’s birth when some parents fill out paternity acknowledgement forms. However, legal fathers may find themselves obligated to pay child support, regardless of the method used to establish paternity,
In some cases, men may believe that they are not a child’s father and should not have to pay child support. By taking paternity tests, a person in this position who can prove that a child is not biologically his could avoid making child support payments.
