A recent article on CNN.COM discusses out-of-wedlock births in the U.S., which according to the report, is at a record high. Nearly 40 percent of babies born in the United States in 2007 were delivered by unwed mothers, according to data released last month by the National Center for Health Statistics. The 1.7 million out-of-wedlock births, of 4.3 million total births, marked more than 25 percent from five years before.
The article goes on to explain that at the heart of this trend may be a shift in the negative stigma attached with unwed mothers giving birth, which coupled with cultural differences, may result in more and more mother’s choosing to have children before they get married. When you add in a struggling economy, and the prohibitive costs of a large wedding, it is no wonder that many couples choose to spend their money elsewhere.
“Do we want to spend that money on a wedding or a house? … I guess it’s about priorities. I was never one of those girls that dreamed about the wedding dress,” LaShanda Henry, 28 was quoted as saying.
An important result of this recent spike in out-of-wedlock births that the article does not touch on is the issue of paternity, establishing paternity and child support obligations. Paternity is the legal identification of the father of a child. Paternity in California is always at issue when the parents of a child are not married.
Even if one party admits that they are the father of the child and they are listed on the birth certificate, legal paternity must still be addressed by the court if the parents are not married. Once legal paternity is established, the acknowledged father will gain his legal rights to his child as well as take on responsibilities for supporting his child.
If you are involved in a situation where the paternity of your child is in question, or you are seeking the financial support that your child requires and deserves, the experienced California family law attorneys at Wallin & Klarich can help. The laws that apply to paternity testing are complex. We can help guide you through the complicated legal process. Call us today at 888-749-7428 for a case evaluation.
