| Attorney serving Bentonville, Bella Vista, Rogers, Springdale, Fayetteville, Eureka Springs, Berryville, & surrounding areas in Northwest Arkansas. |
DISCLAIMER: Nothing
on this website is
intended to begin the
attorney-client
relationship. Neither The
Bryant Firm nor any
attorney operating under
the auspices of The
Bryant Firm is your
attorney or legal
representation until an
engagement agreement
has been signed by both
you and an attorney at
The Bryant Firm. Nothing
on this site is intended to
be used as legal advice.
Prospective clients
should only rely on legal
advice as said or written
in a letter by a licensed
attorney. Nothing on this
site qualifies as legal
advice.
on this website is
intended to begin the
attorney-client
relationship. Neither The
Bryant Firm nor any
attorney operating under
the auspices of The
Bryant Firm is your
attorney or legal
representation until an
engagement agreement
has been signed by both
you and an attorney at
The Bryant Firm. Nothing
on this site is intended to
be used as legal advice.
Prospective clients
should only rely on legal
advice as said or written
in a letter by a licensed
attorney. Nothing on this
site qualifies as legal
advice.
| PRACTICE AREAS |
Paternity
When a child is born outside of marriage, it has one parent, not two. The father is not
considered the father unless the child is born during marriage, the father signs an
acknowledgment of paternity at the hospital, or a Court determines that the father is in
fact the father.
Paternity actions arise in one of two ways - either a mother wants child support from
the father and must file a paternity action to get it done, or a father wants visitation or
custody rights to the minor child and must file a paternity action to establish himself as
the father. When a party files a paternity action, the other party can either admit it or
deny it. If it is admitted, then it is presumed that the father is in fact the biological father
of the child. If it is denied, the Court will order a DNA test to determine who the father
is.
Once paternity has been established, the Court can make its standard custody, visitation,
and child support orders. However, custody can only be awarded to the father if the
father proves:
(a) He is a fit parent;
(b) He has assumed his responsibilities toward the child by providing care,
supervision, protection, and financial support for the child; and
(c) That it is in the best interests of the child to be in the custody of the father.
Fathers can also be ordered to pay child support from when the child was born to the
present. This could create an enormous financial burden, especially if a father wants to
get involved after several years of the child being alive. Fathers can also be ordered to
pay expenses such as the costs associated with the pregnancy, doctor bills for the
mother and child, school supplies from years back, and other expenses that fathers
would normally pay if they were around. The longer a father waits to establish that he is
the father, the bigger the financial judgment he could be facing.
considered the father unless the child is born during marriage, the father signs an
acknowledgment of paternity at the hospital, or a Court determines that the father is in
fact the father.
Paternity actions arise in one of two ways - either a mother wants child support from
the father and must file a paternity action to get it done, or a father wants visitation or
custody rights to the minor child and must file a paternity action to establish himself as
the father. When a party files a paternity action, the other party can either admit it or
deny it. If it is admitted, then it is presumed that the father is in fact the biological father
of the child. If it is denied, the Court will order a DNA test to determine who the father
is.
Once paternity has been established, the Court can make its standard custody, visitation,
and child support orders. However, custody can only be awarded to the father if the
father proves:
(a) He is a fit parent;
(b) He has assumed his responsibilities toward the child by providing care,
supervision, protection, and financial support for the child; and
(c) That it is in the best interests of the child to be in the custody of the father.
Fathers can also be ordered to pay child support from when the child was born to the
present. This could create an enormous financial burden, especially if a father wants to
get involved after several years of the child being alive. Fathers can also be ordered to
pay expenses such as the costs associated with the pregnancy, doctor bills for the
mother and child, school supplies from years back, and other expenses that fathers
would normally pay if they were around. The longer a father waits to establish that he is
the father, the bigger the financial judgment he could be facing.
| The Bryant Firm, P.A. | 9 Halsted Circle | Rogers, AR 72756 Ph: (479)633-8994 | Fax: (479)633-8997 All rights reserved. (c) The Bryant Firm, 2011. |
| Joshua S. Bryant Attorney at Law THE BRYANT FIRM, P.A. 9 Halsted Circle Rogers, AR 72756 (479)633-8994 Fax: (479)633-8997 |