Legal Question in Family Law in Tennessee

Re: What are a man's rights

Simply because the father "knows" he is the father does not establish a legal relationship or give him any particular legally enforceable rights with the child. The father needs to file a petition to establish paternity, which in some juvenile courts can be doen fairly informally and you might attempt it even without an attorney, but once that is established, the court will then go to set child support and you will certainly want an attorney for that. Then AFTER all of that is done you can file a petition to establish your parenting time with the child, and under the proper circumstances might even get the Court to decide that the child should be with you most of the time. For more information on the factors the courts will look at in determining parenting time, and for general advice for parents in custody cases, check my website at jesbeard.com/6a.htm and jesbeard.com/6b.htm

Re: What are a man's rights

You may hire an attorney to file a petition to establish paternity in juvenile court. Once established, You will be required to pay child support, and probably back child support as well as other expenses. Most importantly, however, you will establish a legal relationship between you and the girl you know to be your biological daughter. Once paternity is established, you will need to ask for visitation/parenting time. Your rights in this regard are based on many factors which your legal counsel will explain. Good luck.