Child Visitation, Legitimation and Paternity in Tacoma Washington

Tacoma WA Child Visitation and Paternity Lawyers

The laws in Washington that surround what are called divorce proceedings in most states are in fact somewhat more progressive than the norm. For this reason, the whole concept of  “child visitation” is somewhat of a misnomer when it is applied to Washington divorce law. Indeed, the term “divorce” is not used at all; what is commonly termed a divorce in many other states is legally called a “dissolution of marriage” in the state of Washington. Unlike the states that offer the grounds of fault or no-fault as options for those filing for divorce, Washington law allows for just one ground, that of an “irretrievably broken” marriage. So the actions of the respective former partners during the marriage are not taken into consideration if the court is asked to decide the terms of things like child custody and subsequent visitation rights.

When a married couple who have children decide to get a divorce, the laws concerning the rights and responsibilities of the divorcing couple are very clearly elucidated. In cases when a child or children are born to parents who aren’t married, and paternity has been established, the parent/child relationship in the eyes of the law is the same as that of parents who are married. Paternity is usually established by the mutual consent of the mother and father of the child. When a child is born, the hospital will offer the couple the opportunity to fill out a paternity affidavit that attests to the parentage of the father; such an affidavit can also be filed at a later date.

There are instances when the issue of paternity is brought into question. This can take place when the mother of the child would like to establish paternity of the father in an effort to obtain child support payments, and it can also come into play when a man alleging to be the father is seeking parental rights and willing to take on attenuate responsibilities. This is done by filing a parentage petition with the Superior Court. Once paternity has been established, the parents will be required to submit either a shared or competing parenting plan in the same manner that it is required of married parents who are undergoing a dissolution of marriage proceeding.

If you are interested in learning more about child visitation, legitimation and paternity, contact an experienced Tacoma WA family lawyer for a free consultation.