You Need to Know About Father's Rights in Georgia
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ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT FATHER'S RIGHTS IN GEORGIA 1 ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT FATHER'S RIGHTS IN GEORGIA Contents ABOUT THE AUTHOR ............................................................................................................................................ 4 PUTATIVE FATHERS ............................................................................................................................................... 5 WHAT IS A PUTITATIVE FATHER? ...............................................................................................................................5 RIGHTS OF A PUTATIVE FATHER: ................................................................................................................................5 GEORGIA PUTATIVE FATHER REGISTRY ..................................................................................................................6 WHAT IS THE GEORGIA PUTATIVE FATHER REGISTRY ...............................................................................6 WHEN IS A MAN'S NAME TYPICALLY LISTED ON THE PUTATIVE FATHER REGISTRY? .................6 WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW: ....................................................................................................................................7 PATERNITY ................................................................................................................................................................ 8 WHAT IS PATERNITY? .......................................................................................................................................................8 HOW TO LEAGALLY ESTABLISH PATERNITY: ........................................................................................................8 YOU SHOULD KNOW THIS: .............................................................................................................................................9 PATERNITY ACKNOWLEDGEMENT .............................................................................................................................9 WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT A PATERNITY ACKNOWLEDGMENT: ........................................9 PETITION TO ESTABLISH PATERNITY ..................................................................................................................... 11 WHO MAY FILE A PETITION TO ESTABLISH PATERNITY: .......................................................................... 11 YOU SHOULD KNOW: ................................................................................................................................................ 11 PATERNITY ESTABLISHMENT THROUGH DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES: .......................... 11 LEGITIMATION ........................................................................................................................................................ 12 WHAT IS LEGITIMATION? ............................................................................................................................................. 12 HOW CAN A FATHER LEGITIMATE A CHILD? ...................................................................................................... 12 PETITION FOR LEGITIMATION ..................................................................................................................................... 13 WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW: ................................................................................................................................. 13 CHILD CUSTODY ................................................................................................................................................... 14 PHYSICAL CUSTODY VS. LEAGAL CUSTODY ............................................................................................... 15 WHAT IS PHYSICAL CUSTODY? ................................................................................................................................ 15 WHAT IS LEGAL CUSTODY? ........................................................................................................................................ 15 CHILD CUSTODY FACTORS ............................................................................................................................... 16 PREPARING FOR A CUSTODY CASE ............................................................................................................... 18 DOCUMENTATION: .......................................................................................................................................................... 18 WITNESSES: ........................................................................................................................................................................ 18 2 ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT FATHER'S RIGHTS IN GEORGIA CO-PARENTING TIPS ...................................................................................................................................................... 19 ADOPTION .............................................................................................................................................................. 20 WHAT IS ADOPTION? .................................................................................................................................................. 20 FOUR TYPES ....................................................................................................................................................................... 20 DADS AND ADOPTION .................................................................................................................................................. 21 WHAT HAPPENS WHEN A BIOLOGICAL FATHER HAS NOT LEGITIMATED THE CHILD BEING ADOPTED? ...................................................................................................................................................................... 21 SURRENDER OF PARENTAL RIGHTS (FOR LEGAL PARENTS) IS GENERALLY REQUIRED EXCEPT IN THE FOLLOWING CIRCUMSTANCES: .......................................................................................... 21 RELATIVE & STEP-PARENT ADOPTIONS: ......................................................................................................... 21 CHILD SUPPORT BASICS .................................................................................................................................... 22 WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW: ...................................................................................................................................... 22 COMMON CHILD SUPPORT DEVIATIONS AND CREDITS ............................................................................... 23 3 ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT FATHER'S RIGHTS IN GEORGIA About the author Cheryl D. Kelly, Esquire Attorney Cheryl D. Kelly is the Owner of C. Kelly Law, LLC. She is dedicated to representing each client with legal expertise, compassion, and accuracy. As an attorney, Ms. Kelly has represented hundreds of clients in their most challenging legal matters involving family law and personal injury law. She has extensive experience with helping clients navigate the financial aspects of divorce, as well as child custody and child support. Ms. Kelly prides herself in helping her clients learn to become advocates in their own personal lives, as well as through the litigation process. She enjoys meeting and getting to know each client and learning how C. Kelly Law, LLC., can provide tailored services that will improve each client’s unique situation. 2625 Piedmont Road, NE, Suite 56476, Atlanta, Georgia 30324 website: https://win4ga.com phone: 844-I-WIN4GA 4 ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT FATHER'S RIGHTS IN GEORGIA PUTATIVE FATHERS WHAT is a putitative father? A man that is assumed/presumed or held out to be the biological father of child, but has not established a legal relationship with the child through legitimation. You are a PUTATIVE FATHER if you have not received a Legitimation Order or married the mother of your biological child. RIGHTS OF A PUTATIVE FATHER: A putative father is entitled to: 1. Notification Of Adoption And The Option To Be Involved In, Or To Contest The Adoption of his child. 2. File A Petition For Legitimation To Establish A Legal Relationship With The Child. 3. No Rights To Physical Custody, Legal Custody, Or Visitation. 4. No Rights To Inherit From The Child. 5 ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT FATHER'S RIGHTS IN GEORGIA Georgia Putative Father Registry WHAT is the Georgia Putative Father Registry Statewide database maintained by Georgia Office of Vital Records, containing names, address and social security number of men that claim or are believed to be the biological father of a child or that have formally established paternity of a child (but not necessarily a legal relationship with the child). PRIVACY: Information contained on the Putative Father Registry cannot be accessed by the general public. Access is usually limited to government agencies, adoption agencies, and lawyers. WHEN IS A MAN'S NAME TYPICALLY LISTED ON THE PUTATIVE FATHER REGISTRY? • When he and the biological mother complete, sign and submit a Paternity Acknowledgement to the Georgia Office of Vital Records • When he completes and submit a Putative Father Registration form • When he Legitimates the child by filling a legal auction or marrying the mother https://dph.georgia.gov/sites/dph.georgia.gov/files/Putative%20Father%20Registration%20%28Form%203960%29.pdf 6 ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT FATHER'S RIGHTS IN GEORGIA WHAT YOU SHOULD