 Paternity
cases typically involve the issues of child support and
visitation once paternity has been established. Child custody may also be litigated in
a paternity case. Although paternity cases may be brought
by a father, the mother or the Florida Department of Revenue
(on behalf of the mother) usually bring paternity cases.
Paternity Actions
Paternity is a legal action to establish
the biological father of a child. Paternity actions can also determine which parent
should be the child’s custodial parent (the parent the
child resides with the majority of the time); the visitation
schedule for the non-custodial parent; child support, and other
child care related issues. Most fathers primarily
file paternity actions to establish a legal parent-child relationship
and/or to obtain visitation rights with the child. Most
mothers primarily seek paternity actions to establish and obtain
child support from the child’s father. Procedurally,
a paternity action is similar to a divorce proceeding. It
is commonly referred to the “divorce for unmarried couples”. A
paternity action differs from a divorce action, in that property
is usually not an issue in paternity actions.
Supplemental Petitions
In Florida, once you have received a Final
Judgment (either paternity or divorce), if you want to change
the terms of the Final Judgment, a supplemental petition must
be filed. Once again, this
action is similar to a divorce proceeding. A party must
be served, a response must be filed, and mediation must occur. Supplemental
Petitions should only be filed if there is a significant change
in circumstances. There are several situations that may
qualify as a “significant change in circumstances”. Please
call our office to schedule an appointment and review your circumstances
to determine if a Supplemental Petition is the correct action
for you to file. |
