Legal Question in Family Law in New York

Of course relationships, marriage and nonmarriage end all the time. The only thing that is important in a nonmarital situation with children is to continue to support the children financially.

The safest way to do that is to legally establish paterntiy and set up child support. The danger of not having court ordered child support is the mother can later deny you paid her anything. Also, when you establish paternity you can seek visitation and/or joint custody. It's better to do everything in one proceeding because the amount of visitation you receive may influence the amount of child support you are ordered to pay.

Also licensed and practicing in New York.