Parentage is the legal relationship between a parent and a child. It includes both maternity (mom and child relationship) and paternity (dad and child relationship). When parentage is formed, it means that the person is the legal parent of the child. It also means that the person has certain rights and responsibilities like parenting time and child support.
If a person was married to a child’s mother when she became pregnant or when the child was born, that person is already the child’s legal parent. Otherwise, the person will need to establish parentage to become the legal parent of the child.
Parentage can be established by:
- Voluntary Acknowledgment of Parentage
- (VAP): This is used when both parents agree who is the mother or who is the father. Usually at the hospital when the child is born.
- Going to court: This is used when the parents do not agree about who is the mother or father. It can take a long time and it is hard to do without an attorney. It is best to establish parentage as soon as possible.
You can file for parentage up to the day the child turns 18, and in some cases the day the child turns 20.