Zionsville Paternity Lawyer 

Holistic Paternity Counsel for Zionsville-Area Parents Since 2014

Establishing paternity identifies a child’s legal father and creates a foundation for custody, parenting time, and child support. We represent unmarried parents seeking clear, enforceable arrangements, whether a father wants to pursue parental rights or a mother needs to establish support obligations.

At Law Offices of Eugene Mogilevsky, we recognize that paternity cases may overlap with immigration, bankruptcy, or estate planning concerns. Since our founding in 2014, we’ve helped clients address these connected issues through one coordinated strategy while handling the underlying family law matters.

Ways to Establish Paternity in Indiana

There are two methods to establish paternity in Indiana. The appropriate route depends on whether they agree about the father’s identity and whether custody, support, or parenting time requires court involvement.

Signing a Paternity Affidavit

A paternity affidavit is a signed acknowledgment identifying a child’s legal father. Both parents can sign it at the hospital within 72 hours of the child’s birth or later through the local health department. A properly completed affidavit establishes parentage without a separate court judgment, subject to Indiana’s limited rules for challenging it.

A man who signs the affidavit generally has 60 days to request genetic testing or attempt to withdraw his acknowledgment. After that period, reversing it can become more difficult and depends on limited legal grounds. Anyone uncertain about biological parentage should seek legal advice before signing.

Filing a Paternity Action

If no affidavit exists or parentage is disputed, a parent, the child, or the county child support office may initiate a paternity case. The court can order genetic testing that compares biological markers to determine the likelihood of parentage.

Many actions are subject to a two-year filing period measured from the child’s birth, but Indiana law recognizes important exceptions. For example, a child may generally file before turning 20. The applicable deadline depends on who is filing and the case history, so waiting may limit the available options.

Custody, Parenting Time, & Support After Paternity

Establishing parentage doesn’t necessarily create a complete parenting arrangement. Unless an affidavit designates joint legal custody or a court orders otherwise, the mother generally retains sole legal and primary physical custody. Either parent can ask the court to enter orders governing the child’s ongoing care.

After legal parentage is established, the court may decide:

• Legal and physical custody: Courts apply the best-interests standard, evaluating which arrangement serves the child without favoring either parent based on gender.
• Parenting time: A father can request an enforceable schedule. The Indiana Parenting Time Guidelines often provide a starting point for the court’s analysis.
• Child support: The court can calculate payments under Indiana’s guidelines and may order them from the filing date or, in some circumstances, retroactively to the child’s birth.