Questions or disputes over paternity are very common, especially when the parents of a child have already separated or never had a formal relationship in the first place. Prospective mothers, who may be facing pregnancy and childbirth without a partner, are often torn between the benefits of establishing paternity and the drawbacks of establishing a permanent legal relationship between a child and a man whom she may not trust or know very well - or worse, that she fears.
If you are pregnant or recently gave birth to a child and are wondering whether the benefits of establishing paternity for your little one outweigh the potential risks, it is important to speak with an Illinois paternity lawyer who can help you explore your options and make an informed decision. If you do decide to move forward with a paternity suit, your attorney can help you manage that so you do not have to navigate the complex Illinois family court system alone.
What Are the Benefits of Establishing Paternity?
There are a few well-known reasons that both a mother and child can benefit from paternity. The first and perhaps most obvious is that the mother has the potential support of another adult when raising the child. Childrearing is a difficult and emotionally draining task for one parent to do on their own; if you expect that your child’s father would be willing to participate in raising your child, you may find that having another adult in the picture could make a big difference in terms of the ease and practicality of raising your loved one.