For a child's sake, it is important to establish Paternity. Doing so will insure the child certain rights such as child support and health coverage as well as eligibility for benefits such as Social Security. Paternity can be established by both a mother and father whether they are married or not, simply by having the father's name added to the baby's birth record.
When an individual files what is called an Establishment of Paternity Petition, they are asking the court to legally establish the birth father of the child(ren). In such a petition, the person may also be seeking to establish visitation, custody, and child support.

Establishing Paternity
If a child's parents are not married when the child is born, there is no presumption that a certain individual is the father. As a result, no child support is due from the father if he leaves the family. However, it is possible for the other parent to take legal action to prove the individual is the biological father of the child.

DNA testing and other methods are commonly used to establish the biological father.

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