Talk With Us 480-838-3000
Talk With Us 480-838-3000
Paternity Attorney in Tempe & Chandler, ArizonaPaternity can affect some of the most important rights and responsibilities a parent has, including legal decision-making, parenting time, child support, and a child’s legal relationship with their father. When parentage is uncertain or disputed, establishing who is legally recognized as a child’s father can be an important first step toward resolving these issues.
At Blake & Pulsifer, our Tempe paternity attorneys help mothers, fathers, and alleged or presumed fathers understand their rights under Arizona law. Whether you need to establish paternity, challenge an existing acknowledgment, address genetic testing, or resolve custody and support issues tied to parentage, our family law attorneys can help you choose the right path forward.
At Blake & Pulsifer, we believe the client should be the central focus of the representation. We believe this philosophy of client-centered lawyering fosters integrity, communication, and long-term relationships. Call us now at 480-838-3000 or submit a contact form to start the process. We are located at 2177 E Warner Rd., Suite 107 • Tempe, AZ (Open in Google Maps).
“I was referred by a friend who fired multiple lawyers before finding Blake & Pulsifer. The team has been incredibly responsive, knowledgeable and delightful to work with. Their legal background and ability to navigate complex scenarios has made them the best firm Arizona to protect your family.”
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Arizona law provides several ways to establish paternity. Depending on the circumstances, this may include a voluntary acknowledgment of paternity, genetic testing, certain legal presumptions, or a court proceeding.
Arizona law recognizes several circumstances that can create a presumption of paternity, including when:
A paternity action may also be brought when parentage has not been voluntarily established or when competing claims exist about who should be legally recognized as the father.
Our Arizona paternity lawyers can evaluate how these rules apply to your family and help you pursue an appropriate legal determination.
Paternity disputes can become more complicated when someone has already signed an acknowledgment of paternity or another man is legally presumed to be the father.
Arizona law places important requirements and limitations on challenges to voluntary acknowledgments of paternity. However, an existing acknowledgment does not necessarily resolve every possible competing paternity claim.
The Arizona Supreme Court recently addressed this issue in Strang v. Malay/Hernandez. As we discuss in our article, “Arizona Supreme Court: Signing a Paternity Acknowledgment Doesn’t Automatically Shut Out the Biological Father,” the Court held that a biological father may still pursue his own paternity action even when another man previously signed an acknowledgment of paternity.
The ruling does not mean an existing acknowledgment is automatically invalid. Instead, when competing presumptions of paternity arise, the superior court may need to determine which presumption controls under Arizona law and the circumstances of the case.
Because paternity challenges can involve strict procedural requirements and significant parental rights, speaking with a family law attorney early can help you understand your options.
Genetic testing can play an important role in Arizona paternity cases. Under Arizona law, genetic testing showing at least a 95% probability of paternity can create a legal presumption of fatherhood. Testing may be relevant when:
Our attorneys can help you understand when genetic testing may be appropriate and how the results could affect a pending paternity proceeding.
Establishing paternity is often only one part of a larger family law matter. Once legal parentage is determined, parents may also need to establish legal decision-making and parenting time. Arizona’s court system provides for paternity proceedings that can address paternity together with legal decision-making, parenting time, child support, and certain changes to vital records. Blake & Pulsifer can help parents address these interconnected issues and work toward arrangements that protect their parental rights while meeting their children’s needs and best interests.
Paternity can also have significant consequences for child support. Establishing legal fatherhood may allow a parent to seek a child support order or require a legally established father to contribute financially toward the child’s needs. When paternity and child support issues overlap, our attorneys can help you understand how establishing or disputing parentage may affect your financial rights and responsibilities.
Questions about paternity can involve much more than determining biological parentage. An acknowledgment of paternity, genetic test, or court ruling can have long-term implications for parental rights, child custody, parenting time, and child support.
If you need to establish paternity, are facing a disputed paternity claim, or have questions about an acknowledgment of paternity, contact Blake & Pulsifer. Our Tempe family law attorneys can review your circumstances, explain your options under Arizona law, and help you determine the appropriate next steps. Call 480-838-3000 or contact Blake & Pulsifer online to schedule a consultation with a Tempe paternity lawyer.
