Today, more and more children are born of unmarried parents. While the concept of illegitimacy was abolished in California on January 1, 1976, when the original Uniform Parentage Act (“UPA”) was adopted, the rights of unwed parents and children differs from the rights of married parents who bear children, until the child’s parents have been legally established.
When a child is born of unwed parents, it is essential that “parent-child” relationship is legally established in order to enforce the rights of custody, visitation and child support. Either parent may file a petition to establish a parental relationship with a child. These types of cases are often referred to as “paternity” actions. These cases raise unique and often complicated legal issues that are most effectively handled by an experienced Irvine paternity lawyer.