Orlando Father's Rights Lawyer

Fathers are often left out of major decisions affecting their children when they are not married to the mother. They may not receive the time with their child necessary to develop and continue a close father-child relationship.

Our Orlando father’s rights lawyers at Conti Moore Law Divorce Lawyers, PLLC, understand your frustration. We have helped fathers gain legal rights to participate in their children’s lives. Our lawyers have over 50 years of combined legal experience handling family court and child custody matters.

Contact our Orlando, Florida law firm today to schedule a free consultation with one of our child custody attorneys at (407) 831-0203.

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How Our Orlando Child Custody Lawyers Can Help Fathers Seeking Legal Rights to Their Children

Fighting to be a part of your child’s life can be emotionally exhausting. Our legal team will guide you through the process of exercising your legal rights. We’ll provide support and encouragement during each step.

When you hire our Orlando child custody lawyers, you can expect us to:

Explain your legal rights as a father and how to exercise those rights
Discuss strategies for obtaining the visitation and custody rights you desire
Analyze your income to determine whether you are paying the correct amount of child support
Work to negotiate a fair child custody arrangement and parenting plan that benefits the entire family
Prepare and file a lawsuit in family court seeking to exercise your legal rights if the child’s mother refuses to work with us to develop a satisfactory custody plan

Florida custody laws do not favor either parent. Fathers have the same rights and responsibilities as the child’s mother, absent a court order restricting those rights.

If you have questions about your rights as a father in Florida or want to pursue a paternity case, contact us to schedule a free consultation with an experienced father’s rights lawyer in Orlando, FL.

The First Step – Establishing Paternity

You must be the legal father to exercise any rights regarding your child. You have no rights if the state does not recognize you as the legal father. Therefore, the first step is establishing paternity if you are not the legal father on the birth certificate or the mother challenges paternity.

Florida laws provide five ways to establish paternity for a child:

The parties were married at the time the child was born or conceived.
The parents sign an Acknowledgment of Paternity stating under oath that the individual is the child’s father.
Genetic testing proves the legal father’s identity, and the court orders paternity.
File a paternity lawsuit alleging paternity. The court can order a DNA test to determine if the man is the father. If so, the court issues an order recognizing the man as the legal father.
Legitimation is another option to establish paternity. The mother and biological father marry after the child is born. Then, they update the records to reflect the husband as the legal father.

Paternity impacts your legal rights. However, establishing paternity does not automatically give you the right to take your child if the mother contests custody. You must file a child custody action to fight for full custody.

Furthermore, paternity also impacts the child. For example, your child has a legal right to inheritance. In addition, you are obligated to provide for your child’s financial support, and your child could qualify to receive government benefits under your name.

Why Are a Father’s Legal Rights Important?

You can petition the court for custody and visitation when you are the legal father. Florida child custody laws promote cooperation between parents to develop a custody and parenting plan in the child’s best interest. The judge decides what is in the child’s best interest if the parties cannot agree.

Custody involves physical and legal custody. Physical custody refers to which parent the child lives with as their residence. Generally, the other parent has visitation with the child each week.

Legal custody refers to the right to make decisions for the child. Decisions include religious upbringing, extra-curricular activities, medical decisions, and decisions regarding education choices.

As the father, you can ask the court to grant you full custody or joint custody. Sole custody gives you the right to make all decisions for your child without considering or receiving the mother’s consent. Joint custody allows both parents to share the responsibility of raising their child and making decisions that impact the child’s life now and in the future.

Schedule a Free Consultation With Our Orlando Father’s Rights Lawyers

You deserve fair treatment by your child’s other parent and the family courts. Our Orlando father’s rights attorneys will fight for your right to be a meaningful part of your child’s life. We’ll fight to get you the right to visitation and participation in making decisions that impact your child.

Call our law firm to request a free consultation with one of our child custody lawyers in Orlando, FL.

Conti Moore Law Divorce Lawyers, PLLC
815 N Magnolia Ave Suite 100
Orlando, FL 32803
(407) 831-0203

Our family law firm in Orlando, FL also provides: