Legal Question in Family Law in Alabama
child custody
i know i'm the father of my son, however, if i'm planning on taking the mother to court (we were never married), i hear i need to establish i'm the father. how exactly do i do this? if she's also trying to take me to court (i'm ''over-paying'' now, but she has heard she shuld get more.) do i let her pay for this? (i make considerably more than she does, buts it's all earned bonuses-no guarantee. also, i want full custody, wuld settle for joint-primary). my question is, where do i go from here? prove i'm the father? and how?
1 Answer from Attorneys
Re: child custody
You will need to file a petition in juvenile court to establish paternity, custody, child support, and visitation rights. The juvenile court judge will order a DNA test, but that can be waived if both of you admit paternity.
If it is your intention to fight for custody, then you will need to hire an attorney to file the petition for you. Do not wait for her to hire a lawyer to file it, and do not try to represent yourself, unless you don't care whether you win or lose. You need an experienced family court attorney on your side when you go into court on a custody dispute.
If our firm can be of assistance to you, please feel free to give us a call. Good luck.
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