Visitation

I am a father of an 8yr old girl and wanted to know what my legal right's are in Illinois. I have never been married to the mother of my child. We ahve never been to court and the mother has never filed child support against me.
i want to know what my legal right's to see my daughter and talk to her are? the mother and i signed an agreement on the amount of child support and visitation days monthly. this agreement was typed by me and we both signed it.
i want to know if i have got to go to court to have the rights to see my daughter and talk with her by phone.
thanks, c kramer

I take it you haven't paid and visited according to the typed document you and your ex signed? Not that it stands legally, or anything.

If you have never met this girl, you should proceed with caution. Call the mother and see if you can work out a way to ease into it. If she's not agreeable at all, you could petition the court for visitition. Beware, she'll likely pursue child support now, if she hasn't before. Also beware, someone else may have already adopted this girl, and you're out of luck. You can't always come in 8 years later and expect everything.

You must first establish paternity before you would have any legally enforceable visitation rights.

Originally posted by 4gals1guy
I take it you haven't paid and visited according to the typed document you and your ex signed? Not that it stands legally, or anything.

If you have never met this girl, you should proceed with caution. Call the mother and see if you can work out a way to ease into it. If she's not agreeable at all, you could petition the court for visitition. Beware, she'll likely pursue child support now, if she hasn't before. Also beware, someone else may have already adopted this girl, and you're out of luck. You can't always come in 8 years later and expect everything.

Originally posted by 4gals1guy
I take it you haven't paid and visited according to the typed document you and your ex signed? Not that it stands legally, or anything.

If you have never met this girl, you should proceed with caution. Call the mother and see if you can work out a way to ease into it. If she's not agreeable at all, you could petition the court for visitition. Beware, she'll likely pursue child support now, if she hasn't before. Also beware, someone else may have already adopted this girl, and you're out of luck. You can't always come in 8 years later and expect everything.

i have had a relationship with my daughter since her birth. however the mother likes to make all decisions on when i can see my child. the first two years of my daughters life her mother and i lived together. i worked and supported us. for the last 4 years i have not known what exact legal rights i had since the mother and i were never married. i have tried and tried to not only help support my daughter but have also had to deal with her mother moving, giving fake phone numbers and using money for everything other than my daughter. i was told by a legal group to have her put things in writing. i have had constant,continues visitation with my daughter for two years pretty much uninterupped by her mother. as far as the agreement goes, i have kept up my end and i also provide medical and dental insurance for my daughter. i am not a dead beat dad, iwas young when i had my daughter and was not well educated on what i should exactly do. i feel i should have the right to see my daughter. i thank you for your responce and help.

Originally posted by dorenephilpot
You must first establish paternity before you would have any legally enforceable visitation rights.

i had signed an ackowledgment of paternity in the hospital, whan my daughter was born and my name is on the birth certificate. does this change anything. thanks for your responce.