Who has custody of a child when the parents are not married?

Setting up paternal rights can make issues with custody of children, visit, and child benefits even more difficult when the couples are not married. The mother is automatically given custody of a child born out of wedlock, while the father may fight for custody for a range of other reasons. We’ve highlighted some of the fundamental guidelines concerning the custody of children of unmarried parents in order to help you better understand your parental rights.

The Paternity Question

In the event that the parents are not lawfully wed, there is no such assumption. Therefore, it is crucial to check if the father’s name appears on the birth certificate. As long as both spouses concur on who the father is, there are legal documents that permit a male to admit paternity. When paternity is contested, the government and the courts may intervene and request DNA testing. A paternity database that the father can be added to is present in 25 U.S. states. In circumstances where more than one man can be the biological father, paternity testing may also be employed. Disputed paternity may arise when the couple is unrelated. You can take the help of the best child custody lawyers in Tarrant County to handle this documentation and legal work. 

Rights of the Mother

The law will make it slightly more difficult for babies born to unmarried parents, but both married and unmarried parents frequently face the same legal challenges involving their children.

In most places, the mother is automatically awarded primary responsibility for the children if the parents are not married. In terms of decisions affecting her child’s welfare, this implies she has full authority.

Father’s Rights

In a perfect world, a father who desires to be active in his child’s life can arrange joint custody or visit with the mother. This is complicated in many instances, though. If the father’s name appears on the birth certificate, the mother’s parental rights will be considered equally in court.

The father must first establish paternity in order to exercise any parental rights, nevertheless, if his name is not on the birth certificate. After establishing paternity, a father must convince the court that he is a good parent and qualified to exercise parental responsibility.

Is child support owed by both parents required?

Both parents must provide for any children they have, even if they are not married. The court will weigh each parent’s efforts against the requirements of the child and their respective incomes to decide whether one parent should make a financial commitment in the form of child maintenance. If the parent who is paying care runs into financial difficulties due to a loss of employment, for example, that parent may request that support be reassessed in light of the new situation.

Final Words

A child born to an unmarried couple is usually considered a child of that marriage. This is true regardless of whether a child was planned or not. If the parents are not married, then the mother has custody by default. If she dies, then the father will have custody by default until changed by a court order.