How do I establish parentage?

There are two main ways to establish paternity/parentage when the child’s parents are not married:

Go to court and get a court order—either on your own or with the help of the Local Child Support Agency (LCSA). To begin, you should collect the forms you will need and file them in the county where your child lives (see http://www.courts.ca.gov/1201.htm for help on finding the right county.) Once you have found the right county, you can visit the steps below to guide you in filing your case.

For steps for filing a parentage case, go to: http://www.courts.ca.gov/11298.htm.

For instructions how to answer a request to establish parentage in court, go to: http://www.courts.ca.gov/11309.htm.

For forms and instruction to finish you parentage case go to: http://www.courts.ca.gov/11299.htm.

Both parents sign a voluntary “Declaration of Paternity.” For more information on a Declaration of Paternity, see Appendix J, PG. 821.