San Ramon Paternity Lawyer

Paternity Attorney In San Ramon

Whether you’re a father who wants to be more involved in your child’s life or you’re a mother looking for financial aid through child support, proving paternity in San Ramon can make an immense difference in both your life and your child’s life. However, proving paternity can be difficult, especially when a child is no longer an infant. Luckily, a skilled San Ramon paternity lawyer from Tierney Law Group can help you assess your options and work to prove paternity.

About Tierney Law Group

Tierney Law Group is dedicated to bringing high-quality, individualized family law services to residents across California. Our accolades include the 2021 Expertise Award for Best Divorce Lawyers in Hayward and a 2025 Platinum Client Champion Award from Martindale-Hubbell. Our founding attorney, Kent Tierney, has over 20 years of legal practice and has helped countless families establish paternity in California.

How Is Paternity Established in California?

When a child is born to a married couple in California, the law presumes that the spouses are the child’s parents. If a child’s parents are unmarried, paternity can be established via either a Voluntary Declaration of Parentage/Paternity (VDOP) or a court case. A VDOP is a form that co-parents can file to establish legal parentage of a child born outside of marriage or through some forms of assisted reproduction.

Most people sign VDOP forms in the hospital when their child is born, but you can also sign later at some government locations, including child support agencies. A VDOP can be rescinded within 60 days of signing in California. After that, cancelling it becomes complicated. Getting help with your petition from a San Ramon paternity attorney is highly recommended.

Paternity Actions in San Ramon, California

If there is disagreement about a child’s parentage in San Ramon, paternity cases can be litigated in court. In San Ramon, you may bring paternity actions in the Superior Court of Contra Costa. Generally, most legal actions related to paternity in California revolve around legally establishing or de-establishing parentage, including:

• Fathers establishing paternity so they can play a larger role in their child’s life and potentially request custody
• Mothers establishing paternity to ensure they can receive financial aid through child support payments
• Grandparents establishing paternity to request custody of their grandchild, who may need to live in a safer location
• Mothers or fathers de-establishing paternity to ensure no individual is paying for a child that is not legally theirs

Actions to disestablish paternity are often brought by men who want to terminate their obligations to their child because of a suspected lack of genetic relationship. In other cases where the legal father may not be the biological father, a challenge to his legal paternity might be used to allow the biological father access to legal parenthood. You should discuss all possible legal avenues regarding paternity with an experienced San Ramon paternity lawyer.

Benefits of Establishing Legal Paternity in San Ramon

Legal paternity in California opens up a father’s right to seek custody and visitation. Both are dependent on the court’s determination that a relationship with the father is in the best interests of the child, which is why having an attorney to help you demonstrate that is crucial.

Paternity also obligates a father to contribute child support payments in cases of divorce and separation. With the cost of living in San Ramon being 41% above the national average, child support is often essential in order for a child to maintain a good quality of life.

A child can also benefit from establishing paternity in other respects. For example, they may be able to get dependent coverage from their father’s medical insurance. They will also have inheritance rights and can receive their father’s Social Security benefits after his death, which may help ensure their long-term security. They also have the opportunity to build a relationship with their father, which may not have been possible before.

Hire a Paternity Lawyer in San Ramon Today

At the Tierney Law Group, our team is devoted to helping California families find effective solutions that make their lives easier. We serve clients in San Ramon, Pleasanton, Fremont, Livermore, Dublin, Danville, Alamo, and the Bay Area, and have helped countless families file successful paternity cases. If you’re looking for assistance with a paternity case in San Ramon, don’t wait to see how our experienced family lawyers can help you.

FAQs

How Much Does a Paternity Lawyer Cost in San Ramon?

The amount you pay for a San Ramon paternity lawyer will vary greatly depending on the services you need and the details of your case. Generally, the longer your case takes to settle, the more you will have to pay. It’s important that you discuss all hourly and flat fees as well as the pricing structures a lawyer uses during your initial consultation to ensure you know what to expect.

Does California Favor the Mother or the Father for Custody?

In California, state law prevents judges from considering parents’ gender in custody cases. Instead, they consider factors such as who the main caregiver is and who the child has the strongest relationship with. When you establish custody in San Ramon, you give yourself the chance to request child custody and play a larger role in your child’s life. If you’re looking to establish paternity and request custody, you should do so with help from an attorney.

How Much Does It Cost to Establish Paternity in San Ramon?

The amount you pay to legally establish paternity in San Ramon depends on the procedures involved and the services you require. For example, filing a Voluntary Declaration of Parentage is free, but it may come with fees, such as paying a notary. Genetic paternity tests are also generally free through child support agencies, but can cost several hundred dollars if the court has to request them.

What Rights Do Fathers Gain Through Paternity in San Ramon?

By establishing legal paternity in San Ramon, a father gains the right to seek custody and visitation arrangements. He also has the right to be involved in certain key decisions about his child’s care and upbringing. These rights are intertwined with the legal responsibility to assist, as means allow, in financially supporting the child.

Your San Ramon Paternity Team

At the Tierney Law Group, we are proud to offer client-focused family law services for residents across California. Whether you’re a mother, father, or even child looking to establish legal paternity in San Ramon, don’t wait to see how we can help. Contact Tierney Law Group today.