father wants his rights and responcibilities

[sidaious]

well first off im from west virginia

ummm well this is complicated for me to say so bear with me

me and my fiance have a child together and now we are apart and i want to know where or what rights i have as the biological father of our child, my name is on the birth certificate and i am paying child support, i just want to have every right and responsiablity due to me as a father and dont know where to go to find out what my rights are .. thanks for your help

 

[I AM ALWAYS LIABLE]

well first off im from west virginia

ummm well this is complicated for me to say so bear with me

me and my fiance have a child together and now we are apart and i want to know where or what rights i have as the biological father of our child, my name is on the birth certificate and i am paying child support, i just want to have every right and responsiablity due to me as a father and dont know where to go to find out what my rights are .. thanks for your help

My response:

Okay, this is simple to say, but a bit difficult and pricey to do.

First, you really need to see a Family Law attorney for specifics about your rights and what you'll need to do. Most attorneys will give you a free initial consultation. The attorney will review your rights with you, and the legal procedures you'll need to follow up on with the attorney in order to exercise those rights.

The procedure usually starts with a Petition being filed with the court. The Petition will, in effect, ask the court to make a decision concerning parentage (if that's in question), child support, a visitation schedule, and the form of custody you'll receive; i.e., sole custody, shared custody, etc. Based upon all the facts, the judge will then render an order that both of you are required to follow and abide by, religiously. Just a word to the wise: Don't ever mess with a judge's orders. If you do, there are serious consequences. Always go back to court for permission to change any orders. Do not deviate from the judge's orders on your own. You'll be treading thin ice if you do.

You can find an attorney by calling your State Bar Association and asking for a referral to an attorney in your area.

Good luck to you.

IAAL

[Edited by I AM ALWAYS LIABLE on 04-11-2001 at 11:36 AM]