How do I go about custody?

Question

Obviously I'll need to get a lawyer but has anybody gone through it that can give me a quick run through of how it works? The father says he wants nothing to do with it so it won't be a fight once the baby's born but everybody's scaring me saying if I don't get custody right away he can show up and take the baby away and not bring her back anytime he wants (which I don't like because he's had a DUI and doesn't have a backseat to his truck). Can he really just show up and take her without me? If so, can't I just do the same thing and go get her? How will I get custody and how soon can I do it to avoid this? Xoxo, a single mommy:(

Answer

If he isn't on the birth certificate, I'm pretty sure he'd have to prove he's the father by having a paternity test done. Without him proving paternity, he wouldn't have any rights to the baby at all. At least, that's how it works in the state I live in.

Answer

Have him sign over the rights done deal

Answer

He can only do that if he's on the birth certificate, which if you're not married he'd have to sign a paper in the hospital saying he's the dad in order to be on it. You can't just add him to it by yourself. Honestly leave him off the birth certificate until you go to court, the judge will request he sign it or take a dna test.

Answer

Not sure the state you're in but in Ohio if the parents were never married the mother automatically gets full custody when the baby is born without going to court or anything. The father doesn't get any rights until a court decides so. He can't just show up and take the baby. I'd check your state laws.

Answer

Im doing the same thing. Im filing for legal and sole custody but my thing is if im doing this why do i need child support if im the one taking care of my child only??

Answer

I went thru this with my first baby. In Washington State if he is not on the birth certificate, he has no perental rights to your child. This is a way to protect you & baby. My mom works at RJC and deals with custody battles all day long. If you need any advice message me. 💙

Answer

He can come "pick her up for the weekend" and not bring her back, but because you're not married you can file a kidnap report against him because "techniqually" she isn't his to take. By the law she is "technically" your child. I'm not sure if it's still like this, but when I was born my last name on my hospital card was my mother's last name and not my father's because they weren't married. They had to go have my name changed after they left the hospital so that I could have my dad's last name. Don't quote me on all this info though, because this was almost 24 years ago.

Answer

Unless paternity is established unmarried fathers have no legal rights to the child

Answer

He cannot just show up and take your baby and not bring her back. You can file the paperwork yourself and savr a bunch of money. If he doesn't contest it you just file default and the judge makes the final decision.  There is a lot of help online to filing your own paperwork but you have to do everything on the right time line. I've done it myself.

Answer

If your not married then he doesn't matter. If you're gonna go for child support put him on the birth cert. If not, don't put him on it. If you're not married you get the say in everything, full custody. Check with your state laws though.

How do I go about custody?

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