Legal Question in Family Law in Georgia
i had a dna test when my daughter was born, and thinking me and the childs mother would marry and that would handle legitimation, and name change etc, i did not seek further action. but we recently split ten years later and now i have to go other routes to legitimize my child and get her name changed. i have dna results so what would be the next step i have to take, i would like to get this done the fastest way possible and cheapest. i live in ga, i also want to have visitation rights cause she likes to use my child as a weapon and if she dont get what she wants she wont let me see my daughter. thank you.
2 Answers from Attorneys
If your daughter is only worth the "fastest and cheapest way possible" you can post on websites and fumble through it. If your daughter is important to you, you will make calls tomorrow and set up appointments with lawyers.
There is NO fast and cheap answer that works unless you and the mother agree on legitimization, support, health care, insurance, tax deductions, custody, visitation, a name change and decisionmaking. In that case an uncontested case is possible and a lawyer can hold the cost down.
Otherwise it will frankly be expensive and take a good while. Either way it goes to court.
Regardless this is something you can't answer on the computer. You need to actually hire a lawyer. Note that the older the child gets the harder it will be. And the longer you delay bringing in counsel, the harder it will be. This is absolutely not a do it yourself project.
The lawyer will need to be in or near the county where she lives.