Paternity

Illinois Paternity Attorneys in DuPage County

Both parents of a child have a legal right to a relationship with that child as well as a responsibility for the care and well-being of the child. In cases where parents are unmarried, establishing paternity is necessary to ensure the child receives the support to which he is entitled. At Momkus McCluskey, LLC, our attorneys are experienced in handling paternity cases. We work with both mothers and fathers to establish paternity and bring subsequent legal action where appropriate.

Helping Mothers Establish Paternity and Seek Support

DNA testing is used to establish paternity, or parentage, in cases where the father does not voluntarily acknowledge paternity. This can be done with a simple cheek swab. Where a potential father is unwilling to submit to a paternity test, we help clients obtain court orders compelling DNA testing.

Once parentage is established, our attorneys can help mothers petition for child support from the father. In Illinois, there a numerous factors that are used to determine how much child support a non-custodial parent must pay. Child support payments are generally calculated as a percentage of a parent’s monthly income. Establishing paternity has benefits beyond monthly child support, however. A child also has a right to her parents’ medical coverage, Social Security benefits, veteran’s benefits, pensions and inheritance.

Helping to Protect Father’s Rights

Any man who believes he may be the biological father of a child also has the right to establish paternity. Fathers have a right to be a part of their child’s life, and our attorneys are experienced in helping ensure parental rights of fathers are protected. We can help negotiate or litigate a parenting agreement that addresses child custody and visitation and other co-parenting issues.

Conversely, we also help defend clients against paternity actions where the clients do not believe they are the biological fathers of the children in question. We assist our clients in obtaining the necessary DNA testing to confirm or deny parentage. One of the largest firms in DuPage County, we have experience handling all types of paternity cases and vigorously advocating for our clients rights once parentage is established.

To schedule a consultation with an experienced and knowledgeable family law attorney skilled in handling paternity cases, contact Momkus McCluskey, LLC.