Tri-Cities Fathers Rights

Many people view fathers in divorce, child support, and child custody cases as the primary source of income rather than an equal partner and co-parent. At Pacific Northwest Family Law, we understand the important role that fathers play in their children’s lives, which is why we work tirelessly to protect the rights of dads in Tri-Cities.

Don’t let a legal dispute affect your relationship with your children—turn to the fathers’ rights attorneys at Pacific Northwest Family Law for assistance. We are committed to ensuring you are treated fairly by the family court system in Washington. Let us aggressively protect your best interests and pursue a favorable outcome in your case. Call 360-926-9112 to discuss your case with our attorneys today.

In Washington, mothers and fathers share the same parenting rights. However, mothers are given legal parenting rights at the time of their child’s birth, whereas fathers that are unmarried at the time of their child’s birth will need to legally establish paternity in order to exercise their parental rights. For further reading, visit our blog post on 7 things you didn’t know about father’s rights.

If a woman is married at the time she gives birth, it is assumed that her spouse is the father of the child. But if a child’s parents are not married at the time of the child’s birth, the father must establish paternity in one of two ways:

• Both parents must sign an acknowledge of parentage document in the presence of a witness and submit the form to the Department of Vital Statistics, or
• The mother, father, or child must file a parentage action to ask the court to legally identify the child’s biological father and establish paternity.

A father does not have legal parenting rights until paternity has been established. For this reason, fathers should start the process of establishing paternity as soon as possible.

A number of conflicts may arise in the process of establishing paternity, which is why you will need to seek help from an experienced attorney. The attorneys at Pacific Northwest Family Law are dedicated to helping fathers protect and enforce their rights. Let us lead the fight to establish paternity.

Fathers and mothers have the same right to child custody and visitation, which means fathers have the right to petition the court to ask for custody of a child or visitation rights. The court will consider many factors when making custody or visitation decisions, including:

• The relationship each parent has with the child.
• Each parent’s living situation.
• Each parent’s work schedule.
• The child’s unique emotional needs.
• Each parent’s lifestyle.

Ultimately, the court will make these decisions based on what’s in the best interests of the child. The sex of the parent will not be taken into consideration. But if the court finds that the father is best suited to take care of the child, the court may award custody to him.

If you are a father who wants to protect their parental rights, contact the experienced fathers’ rights attorneys at Pacific Northwest Family Law. Our family law attorneys understand the unique issues that affect fathers in Tri-Cities and the concerns that fathers have about their legal rights. We will aggressively advocate for your best interests and work tirelessly to reach a favorable outcome in your case. To schedule a consultation with our fathers’ rights attorneys, call 360-926-9112 or book your appointment online.