A number of family law issues, including child custody, visitation and child support are directly related to the establishment of legal paternity. "Paternity establishment" is the legal process of adjudicating or determining who is the father of a child and creating the existence of a father/child relationship. State law recognizes only the legal father as having certain rights and responsibilities. In Illinois, a man is a child's legal father if one of the following is true:

1. He was married to the child's mother when the child was born or when the child was conceived (or both);
   
   
2. He married the mother after the child's birth and he is listed with his written permission (as of August 9, 1996) on the child's birth certificate as the father;
   
   
3. There is a court order or Department of Public Aid administrative order of paternity; and
   
   
4. He and the mother have signed a voluntary "acknowledgment of parentage" or "acknowledgment of paternity" form.

If a child is born to unmarried parents, it is very important to immediately establish legal paternity. Call Thomas Law Group, P.C. at 866–848–9183 or contact us online to schedule a confidential consultation in which we discuss your case, develop legal strategies and assess how to best protect your interests.