Add Formulas and Calculations Legal North Carolina Paternity Forms For Free

However, if the parents are unmarried and the mother has legal custody of the child, she can refuse a paternity test as the father has no legal rights to the child. However, if a judge orders a paternity test, the mother is legally obligated to comply.

If the father seeks custody or visitation rights, the court may order a paternity test over the mother's objections. The mother and the presumed father can't refuse a court-ordered paternity test.

Paternity can be established by voluntary acknowledgment of paternity or by court order. The most convenient time for parents to establish paternity for their child is in the hospital when the child is born. The father must be present and provide identification to have his name placed on the Affidavit of Parentage.

Call NC Vital Records Paternity department at 919-792-5989 to schedule an appointment. Both mother and father must sign the affidavit.

If paternity is not established through marriage or by being on the birth certificate, a father will not have a legal claim to the child. If a father is not on the birth certificate in North Carolina, he will need to establish paternity by filing an Affidavit of Parentage.

If a mother refuses a paternity test, the following may happen: The court may hold the mother in contempt, resulting in fines, jail time, or both. The court may automatically order that paternity is not established, and therefore, no child support is due from the claimed father.

If a mother and/or father are unwilling to sign an Affidavit of Parentage, a court order can be submitted to establish paternity. If a parent is deceased and not yet on a birth certificate, a court order can be submitted to establish paternity.

In North Carolina, both unmarried parents have the same parental rights as married parents once paternity is established. In the time after the child's birth but before the parent(s) establish paternity, the mother has custodial rights.

Any parent who has willfully abandoned a child for six months or more can have their parental rights terminated. Abandonment means willfully failing or refusing to provide adequate means of support or attempting to conceal their whereabouts from a child to escape a lawful obligation to provide support.