For many people, the identity of a child’s father is not established through an official legal process, but is instead assumed due to the parents' marital status. That is, a man is known to be a father because he is married to the child's mother. While this may be the case for the majority of dads, there are instances in which a child’s father must be legally identified. This is known as establishing paternity. In many cases, parents will forego establishing paternity to avoid making changes to their current lifestyle. However, these fathers often do not know the benefits and rights tied to establishing paternity.

Paternity Benefits

Establishing paternity comes with many benefits, some of which are personal, while others are financial. On a personal note, a child knowing his or her father can be important to the child’s identity and peace of mind. Some kids wish to know their father and build a relationship with him. Others simply need the information for a better sense of personal identity and to mitigate the uneasiness of not knowing their other parent. Knowing the identity of the biological father is also important for access to the father’s medical history. This can be helpful in predicting possible medical issues that come from the father’s bloodline.

Paternity is the legal and biological relationship between a child and a father. In Illinois, you must establish paternity for a father’s name to appear on a child’s birth certificate, and if you need to set up the allocation of parental responsibilities (formerly custody), child support, and parenting time (formerly visitation) if the parents are unmarried, divorced, or not in a civil union.

To establish a child’s eligibility for health and life insurance, Social Security benefits from a disabled or deceased parent, veteran’s benefits, or an inheritance, paternity must be certified. Sometimes this is done easily, while other circumstances prove difficult. For either scenario, an experienced family law attorney can help.

Establishing Paternity in Illinois

When a couple or two uninvolved individuals agree that paternity is certain, they can complete and file the Voluntary Acknowledgement of Paternity (VAP) form through the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH). You can get this form through your county clerk, health office, an Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services aid office, or via the IDPH website. For proper submission, the VAP must be signed in front of a witness who is age 18 or older.