Paternity Attorneys Serving Fort Wayne And Across Indiana

The fear of missing out on your child’s life is one of the hardest things any parent can face. At Scott & Aplin LLC, we understand what that fear feels like. Our Fort Wayne family law firm has earned a strong reputation across Northeast Indiana and Northwest Ohio through word of mouth. You get experienced legal guidance from a team your community trusts.

How Paternity Works In Indiana

Paternity is the legal recognition of a man as a child’s father. It shapes custody, parenting time, child support, medical decisions, inheritance, benefits and a child’s last name. Indiana law recognizes three main ways to establish paternity. Which one applies depends on your situation:

• Voluntary Acknowledgment of Paternity (VAP): Parents sign a legal form, often at the hospital.
• Court-ordered paternity action: A court orders DNA testing and issues a legal finding when parents disagree.
• Presumption of paternity: Indiana law presumes a husband is the father of a child born during the marriage or within 300 days after it ends.

Each path carries different legal implications for your family and can be complex, so we recommend speaking with an attorney.

Who Should File A Paternity Case In Indiana?

You do not have to wait for things to get worse. A paternity case may be the right step if you are:

• An unmarried parent who needs a custody or parenting time order
• An alleged father disputing paternity
• A mother seeking child support
• A father seeking parenting time or custody
• Unsure about a birth certificate, the child’s last name or parental rights

Taking action early protects your legal standing and helps secure your child’s future.

What Legal Fatherhood Means In Indiana

Establishing paternity allows Indiana courts to order custody and parenting time arrangements. This gives him the legal right to spend regular, scheduled time with his child. Indiana’s parenting time guidelines serve as the starting point for these arrangements.

Legal custody determines who makes key decisions about the child, including education, healthcare and religious upbringing. Courts may award joint or sole legal custody based on the child’s best interests. Finally, paternity establishment allows courts to order child support, calculated using both parents’ incomes and parenting time.

Protecting Your Family Starts With One Conversation

Start protecting your relationship with your child today. At Scott & Aplin LLC, we also offer mediation services to help families reach fair agreements outside of court. Call our office at 260-200-5321 or reach out to us online to schedule your consultation.