Countless issues can complicate the already complex legal process of ending a marriage. One of these complicating factors is pregnancy. If you or your soon-to-be ex-spouse is pregnant, and you plan to divorce, you probably have many questions and concerns. You may wonder how parental responsibilities and parenting time will be determined, or you may have worries about child support. Getting a divorce while a spouse is pregnant is possible under Illinois law, but it can be challenging both personally and legally.
Establishing Paternity of Your New Child
Paternity refers to the legal relationship between a father and a child. Illinois law presumes that when a married woman has a child, her husband is the child’s biological and legal father. The father does not need to take any additional steps to establish paternity. This is also true if the baby was conceived while the couple was married but is born after their marriage is dissolved. A father who has established paternity has the right to parenting time and may also have certain obligations, such as child support payments.
If a woman conceives a child during her marriage, but her husband is not the child’s biological father, the situation becomes more complicated. The presumed father may need to terminate his parental rights so that the biological father can establish his own parental rights. In some cases, a DNA paternity test may be needed to verify the biological relationship between the child and the father.
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