Common paternity benefits include child’s right to use father’s medical insurance, inheritance, and veteran’s benefits. Another benefit of a father claiming paternity is the ability for a father to bond with the child. Establishing paternity allows a child to legally have a father. These are just a few of the reasons for establishing paternity.

Ways to Establish Paternity in Florida

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There are five ways to establish paternity in the state of Florida: by marriage, acknowledgment of paternity, genetic testing, legitimization, and by a court order.
When one establishes paternity by marriage, in most instances, this is the most straightforward way to confirm fatherhood. In Florida, when a child is born to married parents, the paternity of the child is considered to be established by marriage.

Acknowledgement of paternity is a way of establishing paternity by means of signing a legal document when the child is born. This usually is when both parents sign the document acknowledging who the father of the baby is.

Genetic testing can be done to prove who the father of the child is, also. This can be court ordered or voluntary. Once the genetic test proves who the father is, the results are filed with the state of Florida and paternity has been established.

Legitimation as a means of establishing paternity means that the parents get married after the child is born, and then complete the paperwork on paternity. This will usually require updates to the birth records.

Parents can also establish paternity by means of a court order. A court order simply means a judge would order genetic testing to be done to prove paternity. A mother or father can file an affidavit to submit to the court that states the reasons they need the paternity established. This is a legitimate way of claiming or establishing paternity.

There is More Than One Way to Establish Fatherhood

As you can see, there are various ways of establishing paternity in the State of Florida. Visit the Florida Department of Revenue’s website in order to read about it in more detail.

Once paternity is proven, the information can become the basis for a child support order, a child custody case, and more. When you are starting to take steps to legally establish who is the father of a child, you are going to need the assistance of an experienced attorney to guide you through the process and avoid pitfalls. Get good advice from a lawyer who knows the bureaucracy and who can save you time and money.

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In the state of Florida, there are many different types of alimony one can be awarded after the end of a marriage. These types of alimony are dependent on a variety of circumstances including financial statuses and the amount of time the marriage was upheld. Florida alimony types vary and are important to know if you are involved in a divorce case. Here’s a look at the different Florida alimony types.

Rehabilitative

This type of alimony is intended to help a spouse get on their feet by providing job training or education training. In order for rehabilitative alimony to be approved, the spouse receiving the alimony needs to have a plan for the rehabilitation, and the plan needs to be followed throughout the entire course of the alimony. If not, the spouse becomes at risk for modification or elimination.

Durational

Durational alimony is provided to help a spouse for a delegated amount of time. In cases where durational alimony is awarded, there is usually no need for assistance long term. Most of the time, modifications to durational alimony cannot be applied to the length of time. However, it is important to note that durational alimony is not provided for a longer period of time than the marriage itself.

Bridge-the-Gap

Bridge-the-gap alimony is provided for no more than two years, and is intended to help a spouse make the transition from married to single life. This type of alimony is not eligible for modification because it is a short-term alimony.

Permanent

Permanent alimony is provided when a spouse does not have what they need to support themselves and provide their own necessities of life. The length of time permanent alimony is awarded is based on the length of the marriage. This type of marriage is not usually awarded to short-term marriages unless their are unique circumstances.

Call DeVoe Law Firm today to discuss your alimony case and see if you’re eligible to receive alimony.