The Washington State Paternity Regulations you observe on this page is a versatile legal framework crafted by experienced attorneys in compliance with federal and regional laws and guidelines.
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If the father appears in court and the mother and father both agree that the father is the biological father, the judge will immediately issue an order establishing parentage. If either the mother or the father denies or is uncertain of paternity, they can request the court to order genetic or DNA testing.
Parentage in Washington State can be established by presumption, acknowledgement (voluntary), or through a parentage action in court (involuntary). *Presumption: If parents are married or in a domestic partnership when the child is born, parentage is presumed and automatically established.
The father may file a parentage action, seeking the court to establish legal paternity. The court may need to order genetic testing to confirm the unmarried father's paternity. If the court issues a parentage order, the man seeking to establish paternity becomes the adjudicated legal father.
A person is also presumed to be the parent of a child if, for the first two years of the child's life, the person resided in the same household with the child and openly held out the child as his or her own. The presumption of parentage may only be rebutted by an adjudication as provided by law.
Paternity Acknowledgement is a legal document used to determine fatherhood. Both the father and the mother of the child will have to sign the form. The parents must have it notarized and file it with the Washington State Department of Health. The man then legally will be the child's father.