ASK ANGIE^TM
By Angela Hallier, Esq.
Answers to your divorce and family law questions

Q My baby's father and I are not married, but we live together as a couple. What is the easiest way for us to legally establish his paternity of our child?

A The two of you may file either (1) a notarized and witnessed statement which includes your social security numbers and acknowledges your boyfriend is the child's father, or (2) a statement that the two of you agree to be bound by the results of genetic testing, along with an affidavit from the laboratory which performed the testing that your boyfriend has not been excluded as the child's father. Such filings are accepted by the Superior Court, the Department of Economic Security, and the Department of Health Services. Either filing will result in your boyfriend being defined as the child's "legal" father. However, child support, custody, and parenting time are not established by this process.

It is always advisable to seek the counsel of a qualified attorney who can advise you specifically about your case. The information in this column is provided for general information only in the state of Arizona, is not specific to any one case and does not create an attorney-client relationship between the author and the reader. ©2003 - 2008 Hallier Law Firm PLC

ASK ANGIE^TM is published monthly in Arizona Trends Magazine.