Number Pages In Legal South Carolina Paternity Forms For Free

You can start that process at your nearest Vital Records office or the DHEC State Vital Records Office in Columbia. You will need to provide a certified copy of the marriage license, and both you and the child's father will have to sign a statement called an 'affidavit' in the presence of a notary.

If paternity has been acknowledged or adjudicated, the father may petition the court for rights of visitation or custody in a proceeding before the court apart from an action to establish paternity. (C) All actions commenced under this article must be dealt with as separate proceedings before the court without a jury.

For married parents, paternity is assumed at birth. For unmarried parents, paternity can be established through a paternity acknowledgement at the hospital or at DHEC Vital Records (or any county health department) after leaving the hospital.

DNA Testing in South Carolina Most Collection sites can do sample collection the same day that you call and most charge about $25 per/person for collecting the DNA sample and overnight the samples to our lab. Once all samples have been received, we will typically have results in as little as 48 hours.

Once paternity is established, both parents will maintain equal rights before the court. Neither the father nor the mother will be given any preference, and the court will award custody based on the best interest of the child's interests.

Parents can share physical and/or legal custody, or one parent may have sole physical or legal custody. Joint custody in South Carolina means that both parents have frequent contact with their children and have an equal say in the child's upbringing.