Why does legal paternity/parentage matter?

Establishing paternity/parentage gives you and your child many rights, including a right to child support, access to your child’s medical records, public benefits for you and the child, and more. Once parentage is established, a family-related court (family court, probate court, or dependency court) can make orders for custody, visitation, child support, health insurance, name changes, and reimbursement of pregnancy and birth costs.[2516] Until parentage is established, the court can’t make orders about these issues.

  1. 2516

    Cal. Fam. Code § 7637.