What is a putative father?

When you are involved in a Virginia child custody dispute you may deal with the declaration of a putative father. A putative father is a man who may be a child’s biological father, but was not married to the child’s mother before birth and has not established legal paternity of the child.

In Virginia child custody cases, a putative father has no legal recognition as the child’s father until he takes steps to establish the proper documentation. A DNA paternity test may be necessary to obtain certain legal documentation. This process must be performed by LabCorp in Virginia for it to be legally admissible as evidence of paternity.

Biological paternity can be established by signing a Voluntary Acknowledgement of Paternity, establishing paternity through the Clerk of Court, or speaking to a Department of Health and Family Services caseworker. In some cases, a reissued birth certificate with the biological father’s name may be necessary to legally prove a putative father is the biological father of your child.

Throughout your divorce and/or child custody proceedings, you’ll naturally have a lot of questions specific to your circumstances. Get your questions answered by requesting a FREE copy of our guide, What Every Virginia Woman Should Know About Divorce, or reserving your seat at our monthly divorce seminar – 757-425-5200.

The Virginia child custody and divorce attorneys at Hofheimer Family Law Firm are committed to fighting for your rights, assisting in child custody disputes, and advocating that you receive everything you are entitled to and need in order to start your new life.