If you are married to the father of your child, he is presumed to be the birth father unless tests prove otherwise. However, parental rights are more complex when a couple is unmarried. Family law attorney Dorene Kuffer assists parents seeking to establish and/or terminate parental rights in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Parental Rights for Unmarried Couples
If you are seeking to establish parental rights as an unmarried couple, it’s important to do so before birth, or very soon after. Proper steps to take include:
- Putting the name of the father on the birth certificate.
- Having the father sign a voluntary acknowledgement of paternity.
- Seeking legal custody of the child.
If you are seeking to establish parental rights after the child is born, our law firm can assist with parental rights for unmarried couples. In many cases, a DNA test may be necessary.
Parental & Marital Rights
As stated above, for married couples, parental rights are easy to establish as long as there are agreements as to the paternity of the child. For gay and lesbian couples, parental and marital rights are more complex.
While there are no same-sex marital rights in New Mexico, gay couples do have the ability and right to establish parental rights in many instances. Dorene has unique experience helping same-sex parents establish parental rights in LGBT adoptions and second-parent LGBT adoptions.
Contact Our Family Attorney
For over 30 years, Dorene has assisted couples from all walks of life to establish parental rights. As an expert in family law, she is knowledgeable in all aspects of creating families in Albuquerque, including assisted reproduction, surrogacy and adoption.
Contact us to schedule a consultation with Dorene to discuss your case.
