Establishing Paternity in TN

It’s a situation that we see too often: Parents cannot agree on a visitation schedule for a child and the father cannot see the child because he has no legal rights. A mother may move away with the child and the father disagrees but has no grounds to contest the move because he has no legal rights.

Husband Rights

In Tennessee, a mother’s husband at the time of the birth of child is the legal father of that child, whether or not he is the biological father. If the mother and father are not married at the time of the child’s birth, they can sign a voluntary acknowledgment of paternity to place the father’s name on the birth certificate. A voluntary acknowledgment of paternity and birth certificate, however, are not sufficient legal proof that a man is a child’s father.

Parents Not Married

A mother and father can agree to paternity and ask the court to establish the father’s rights to the child. Once the parties agree or a successful DNA test is complete, the court will produce an order of paternity and establish visitation and legal rights.

Establishing Paternity

Establishing paternity is a very important step in being able to parent your child. Many fathers wait until there is an issue with visitation or support before they ask the court to establish them as the father’s child. Due to the length of time this can take, a father may miss out on a significant portion of a child’s life.

We have successfully helped establish paternity for fathers in multiple counties and we would be happy to help you. Contact us with questions today at (615) 784-4800.