Legal Question in Family Law in California

I believe that at least for a certain amount of time after the father died you can proceed with a posthumous paternity proceeding in order to qualify the child for inheritance, social security survivors benefits, etc. This is not a common situation or procedure, however, so you should contact an attorney who handles paternity cases directly about this, rather than trying to fish for help on the internet.

I agree with Mr. McCormick. You would need a court order, in a paternity action. This may be difficult if the father was cremated and no DNA remains to be tested.