A child deserves both their parents and the Nye Law Group is a firm believer that a father is necessary in a child's life. We have experience in working through the parentage courts in the Chicagoland area. Every situation is unique, but a child deserves their father as much as their mother.
Married v. Unmarried Parents
In Illinois, when a child is born to a husband and wife there is a presumption that the husband and wife are the parents of the child. If the parents are not married, then parentage of the child must first be established before anything can move forward. In those cases, the Illinois Parentage Act of 2015 applies. Parentage is generally established in two ways in Illinois now, by what is commonly referred to as a VAP, a Voluntary Acknowledgment of Paternity, or by the court ordering a DNA test. Once the paternity of the child is established, by either of those two means, the process of determining the best interest of the child can be conducted. If you are an unmarried father, contact the Nye Law Group, Ltd, to determine what you're next steps should be. No father should be shut out of their child's life.