Legal Question in Family Law in California

If you were never married, he has no rights unless and until he goes into court to establish legal paternity. Until he does that, you have no obligation to let him see the baby.

With that said, however, you need to bear in mind that he will be your baby's father for life, and having a dad in their lives is important to kids. Your baby will be a child for 18 years. That's a long time, and he will change over that time - no way of telling exactly how, but everyone changes one way or another in that amount of time. You also need to consider that if his paternity is established, he will owe you child support. The court can order him to get off his a** and find a job if he has been determined to be a father. And that's not some money grubbing thing. Your baby deserves the financial support of both parents for a better life. So even if you don't want his money, your baby is entitled to have it put in a college fund or something.

Ultimately it is up to you if you want to go it alone. Only you can balance the pros and cons of having the father in your baby's life. But just because he's a guy you want nothing to do with as a boyfriend, doesn't mean your baby doesn't deserve him in the child's life. And maybe the responsibility of being a dad will be the kick in the pants he needs to grow up and be a man instead of sponging off his mom. Stranger things have happened.

It's important for both parents to establish a relationship with the minor child. It is in the child's best interests to work towards coparenting and this arrangement will facilitate the possibility of father being more financially responsible for the child. Please meet with an experienced family law attorney to explore your legal options.