Establishing Paternity
Paternity means the condition of being a father. Establishing paternity means to establish a legal father for a child. When the parents are not married it is important that paternity be legally established.
There are several ways you can establish paternity:
Voluntary Acknowledgment of Paternity forms are also available at all hospitals and birthing centersfor unwed parents to complete and sign after their child is born. The Acknowledgment of Paternity is also available at all Vital Records offices.
Once the voluntary Acknowledgment of Paternity is signed, it is filed with both the DCSS Hospital Paternity Programand the Office of Vital Records establishing paternity. If the child was born in Arizona, the birth certificate is amended to include the father’s name.
If the child was born in another state, a copy of an Affidavit Acknowledging Paternity is sent to the other state’s Vital Records Agency.