Merge Legal Maryland Paternity Forms For Free

Establishing Paternity is Essential An unmarried father needs to sign the child's birth certificate and obtain an affidavit of parentage before the child reaches 18, which is the age of majority. Unmarried fathers rights will only be enforced in Maryland if paternity has been officially established.

Affidavit of Parentage: Right after your baby is born, you can encourage the father to start the paternity process by signing the Affidavit of Parentage while you are still in the hospital. This action will allow the father's name to be placed on the birth certificate.

If you and the mother are not married to each other, you can only be listed on the birth certificate if you have signed an Affidavit of Parentage or a court has found that you are the father. You have the right to petition the court to have yourself declared the child's father.

Establishing paternity is the process of establishing the legal fatherhood of a child. In Maryland: If the mother is married at the time of conception or birth of a child, the law presumes her husband is the child's legal father even though he may not be the child's birth father.

Cost: $25.00 application fee and $28.00 per person for genetic testing . Affidavit of Parentage: If not completed at hospital, Dorchester County Child Support may assist parents with Affidavit of Parentage form.

?An Affidavit of Parentage (AOP) is a legal document that allows a parent who gave birth to a child to add the name of the other parent of the child to the birth certificate. The parent who gave birth cannot complete the AOP if she was married at any time during the pregnancy.