{"id":3725,"date":"2018-10-18T12:00:54","date_gmt":"2018-10-18T19:00:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.jacksonwhitelaw.com\/arizona-family-law\/?page_id=3725"},"modified":"2022-12-19T09:53:58","modified_gmt":"2022-12-19T16:53:58","slug":"arizona-acknowledgement-of-paternity-form","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.jacksonwhitelaw.com\/arizona-family-law\/blog\/arizona-acknowledgement-of-paternity-form\/","title":{"rendered":"Acknowledgement of Paternity in Arizona: Everything You Need to Know"},"content":{"rendered":"
In the United States, the parent-child relationship comes with some important rights and obligations. On the child\u2019s side, every child has the right to receive reasonable support<\/a>, and to visit and communicate with both parents. On the parents\u2019 side, every parent has the right to parenting time, legal decision-making, visitation, and communication. Parents also have an obligation to provide reasonable support, which takes the form of child support when the parents are separated or divorced.<\/p>\n While a mother\u2019s rights and obligations are immediately bestowed at birth, the father\u2019s rights and obligations can only be enforced once paternity<\/a> is established. This isn\u2019t a problem for married couples, as paternity is automatically presumed for married parents. It can be a problem for unmarried couples, though, as paternity cannot be confirmed for unmarried parents until the father acknowledges his paternity (voluntarily or involuntarily).<\/p>\n The easiest way to establish paternity is for both parents to complete and sign an Acknowledgement of Paternity Form<\/a>. In most cases, the hospital will push to have this signed and submitted before the mother and child leave the hospital. If the father is unavailable and the mother isn\u2019t willing to name the father immediately, the parents can submit the form at a later date to the AZ Division of Child Support Services (DCSS<\/a>), or to family court if there is an open paternity or child support case.<\/p>\n As you are filling out the Acknowledgement of Paternity Form, here are a few tips to keep in mind:<\/p>\n An Acknowledgement of Paternity Form is a legally binding document. Do not sign this form if you wish to contest the child\u2019s paternity, or if you are threatened or coerced. You may rescind this form within 60 days of signing. After a certain point, you may not be able to renounce paternity\u2014even if a genetics test confirms that you are not the child\u2019s father.<\/p>\n The best time and place to submit an Acknowledgement of Paternity Form is at the hospital after the child is born. A hospital social worker or representative of the AZ Department of Health Services (DHS<\/a>) should visit the mother\u2019s room immediately after the child is born to take care of this and gather the necessary information for the child\u2019s birth certificate.<\/p>\n If you are unable to establish paternity while at the hospital, both parents can visit a DCSS office and voluntarily open a case to establish paternity and child support. DCSS will file the Acknowledgement of Paternity Form with the Hospital Paternity Program, and refer the child support case to family court.<\/p>\n Alternatively, you can file an Acknowledgement of Paternity Form directly with the family court if there is already an open child support or custody case. If you choose to file directly with the court, you\u2019ll need to attach the proper court documents (such as this packet<\/a> from the Superior Court of Arizona in Maricopa County). Note that filing directly with the court may involve court costs and filing fees, so it\u2019s often best to establish paternity before a child support or custody case is opened.<\/p>\nThe Acknowledgement of Paternity Form<\/h2>\n
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Where to Submit an Acknowledgement of Paternity Form<\/h2>\n
How to Address a Question of Paternity<\/h2>\n