Wisconsin Instructions for Paternity Acknowledgement Action is a legal document used to establish the paternity of a child born to unmarried parents. This document is typically used by the father of the child to acknowledge parentage and to establish legal rights and responsibilities. The process is required by the state of Wisconsin and must be completed and notarized before the father's name can be added to the child's birth certificate. There are three types of Wisconsin Instructions for Paternity Acknowledgement Action: Voluntary Acknowledgement of Paternity, Court-ordered Paternity Acknowledgement, and Acknowledgement of Paternity After Adoption. A Voluntary Acknowledgement of Paternity is completed by the father and mother of the child and can be done at the hospital when the child is born, or at a later time. This document must be signed by both parents and notarized. A Court-ordered Paternity Acknowledgement is completed when the father of the child does not agree to voluntarily acknowledge paternity. If this is the case, the mother must file a paternity action in court. The court will then order the father to complete the paternity Acknowledgement. An Acknowledgement of Paternity After Adoption is completed when the father of the child has been identified, but the child has been adopted by another family. In this case, the father must complete the Paternity Acknowledgement before the adoption is finalized. In all cases, the Wisconsin Instructions for Paternity Acknowledgement Action must be completed and notarized before the father's name can be added to the child's birth certificate.