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What is a Declaration of Paternity?
The declaration of paternity is a legal form that, when signed by both parents,
says the man is the legal father. Signing the form will legally establish the
man as the child’s father, with his name to be placed on his child’s
birth certificate. Signing a Declaration of Paternity is
voluntary.
Where can I obtain a Declaration of Paternity?
You can obtain a Declaration of Paternity form at the hospital or clinic right after
your child is born. Signing the form in the hospital is a quick, easy and free way
to have the father’s name added to his child’s birth certificate. Your local
registrar of births and deaths office, county family support, family law facilitator
or welfare offices can also provide you with a Declaration of Paternity form. If you
choose to complete and sign the Declaration of Paternity after leaving the hospital,
you will have to pay a fee to the State Office of Vital Records to have the father’s
name added to the birth certificate.
How can a Declaration of Paternity help you?
When the parents of a child are not married at the beginning of the pregnancy or at
the birth of the child, the father is not considered a legal parent with rights or
responsibilities for the child. To help gain legal rights as the child’s father,
he can sign the Declaration of Paternity form. It will legally establish a parent-child
relationship between the child and father, without going to
court.
How does the child benefit?
By establishing paternity, a child gets the legal rights and privileges of a
child born within a marriage. Those rights and privileges may
include:
• Support from both parents
• Legal documentation of who his or her parents are
• Access to family medical records
• Medical and life insurance coverage from either parent, if available
• Inheritance protections
• Social security and veteran’s benefits, if available
• The emotional benefits of knowing who both parents are
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