There are two basic ways that you can establish paternity in the state of Washington. Parents of a child who are unmarried can sign an Affidavit of Paternity, which is a document that legally establishes paternity for the child under Washington law. The Affidavit is sent to the Washington State Department of Health, which then adds the…
When a child is born to married parents, there is no need for either parent to take steps to establish their parental rights; Washington law presumes that a child born during a marriage is the legal child of both the mother and the father. When a child is born outside of a marriage, however, a…
There are two main ways under Washington law to legally establish paternity for a child who is born outside of a marriage. A father can sign a paternity acknowledgment form, which establishes him as the child’s legal father. Alternatively, a court can issue an order that establishes a man as the legal father of the…