Illinois state law defines paternity as being a legal relationship between a father and their child. After paternity is established, the father can put his name on the child’s birth certificate and will also be granted certain legal rights.
Whereas paternity is typically straightforward for married couples, unmarried couples can face additional issues that may be more complicated. The husband is generally presumed to be the father when a married couple has a child, but unmarried fathers often need to sign a Voluntary Acknowledgement of Paternity (VAP) or establish paternity through other means.
Paternity Actions in Cook County
Common kinds of paternity actions often include establishing paternity by consent of the parents, contested paternity suits, and suits to establish the non-existence of a father-child relationship.
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