But I Am The Father, Why Don't I Have Any Rights?
You may very well be the biological father but does not mean you are the legal father or that you have any legal rights to your child. It is important that if you are an unmarried father, you immediately establish your legal rights to your child. In Florida, if a child is born out of wedlock, there is no presumption of fatherhood. Paternity should be established first and foremost. An establishment of paternity can be done in several ways: At the hospital, the “father” and mother when signing the birth certificate also sign an affidavit acknowledging paternity. This affidavit is notarized and witnessed by 2 individuals. If you only signed a birth certificate but did not sign this affidavit, you have not established paternity. The “father” or mother files a petition for paternity through the court. The parties then either stipulate to paternity or there is DNA testing that is conducted. The Florida Department of Revenue may commence a paternity proceeding