About this service

PATERNITY OR DIVORCE OR LEGAL SEPERATION There is a big difference between a divorce (also known as a dissolution of marriage, legal separation and a paternity action).  A divorce can only be filed when a marriage has occurred.  A divorce terminates the marriage. A legal separation can only be filed by a married person, but only lasts for one (1) year before it must terminate by law and the parties remain married. Its purpose is just to separate the two (2) spouses temporarily and to temporarily determine custody, support, parenting time, possession of a marital home and automobiles and determine the responsibility for debts of the parties.  A paternity is when a couple has a child when they are not married (out of wedlock).  The purpose of a paternity action is to establish who the parents are, custody, parenting time and child support. FATHER’S CHILD CUSTODY RIGHTS Many fathers believe they have minimum rights to their children.  Sometimes fathers perceive a bias in the legal system against giving Fathers custody of their children.  This perception is not found to be true.  It is the attorney’s job to present all relevant facts at trial to the judge.  These cases are complicated by the fact that in many homes the father works and the mother raises the children. More mothers’ are now in the workforce.  In some families, not only does the mother work, but she also does the child raising, meal preparation, house cleaning, laundry, etc. We advise all fathers’ to “step up to the plate” and get equally involved with all aspects of child care and child raising.  This includes doing house cleaning, laundry, meal preparation, taking children to doctors appointments and extra-curricular activities, giving bathes, putting kids to bed and playing and talking with their children.  More fathers are doing these things than ever before and as a result more fathers are now getting custody of their children.