Interstate Paternity Testing

[Awesomemom]

What is the name of your state? CA


I am posting this for my Fiance, the children are in Georgia, the father is in CA. He wants to open a case against himself regarding his twins, but before doing so he wants to do paternity tests. The mother never named him as the father on the birth certificate and the children don't have his last name. When he tried to go with her to the office to have everything changed over, she stormed off and left the office, til this day he is not sure why, but then started thinking it might be because they are not his.
How does he go about getting all of this done from another state? Thank you for your time.

 

[nextwife]

He needs to file for a DNA test and determination of Paternity, joint legal custody, and a set (possibly phased in depending upon age and familiarity) and a parenting plan with a set schedule for times of possession, and who does what transporting,, and address participation in decision making regarding education, extra-curriculars,

 

[CourtClerk]

I have questions and comments:

How old are the children?

Where were the children born?

How did dad get to CA when the kids are in GA?

Those questions are kind of important to getting an accurate answer, but the general answer is, in state to state issues, one CSE office will work with the other in order to get the DNA test done, however, if you want to deal with custody and visitation all at the same time, a suit would have to be filed OUTSIDE of CSE (child support enforcement). Consult an attorney if this is what he is interested in doing.

 

[Awesomemom]

the children are 5 years old, but he has been wondering this since they were two when he left due to things not working out. They were born in Georgia.
Where would he file for all of this, in California or in Georgia? If he can't afford an attorney how can he do all of this?? Thanks so much to all of you for your advice....
Have a wonderful evening.

 

[CourtClerk]

He files in Georgia and Georgia also requires legitimization of the children, so he will need to go through that process also. GA CSE will contact CA CSSD to arrange for paternity testing to be done either in their office or at a certified lab.

He can either hire a GA family law attorney, or he can do it himself, which will be very difficult from California. If he would just like to establish support of the children, he should contact GA Child Support Enforcement http://ocse.dhr.georgia.gov/portal/site/DHR-OCSE/ and they should be able to start a case on his behalf. Custody and Visitation would be seperate issues and will need to be handled in family court. I would suggest though, that in addition to child support, he begins to establish a legal relationship (visitation, etc) with the children... if they are in fact his children.

 

[Awesomemom]

He does see the children and keep up with them, but he said ever since they were born something in him has had him in doubt.
OK, thanks so very much for your time and all of the information.....