Unmarried parents who live together for a time and then separate, face interesting challenges when they need to determine how they will continue parenting their children and how they will divide any property they acquired together.

Arrange something that works for you, your co-parent and most importantly the children.

If an agreement can be reached, do this quickly and formalize it with the court.

If an agreement cannot be reached the father must establish (in a legal sense) his parental rights by obtaining an order or a judgment of “paternity” (essentially making a claim to the court that you are the parent). This can be a very difficult concept for unmarried parents to comprehend because essentially the authorities (police, sheriff) will generally not enforce any rights to your child until you have an order and in the case of paternity (parents who are not married), the court will not make any order until a father files documents claiming he is the parent. Married couples who are divorcing do not have to make this ‘proof’ and are legally entitled to custody of their children even upon separating. 

Navigate this legal process by

• preparing and filing emergency requests to get you custody orders

• mediating disputes with the other parent to arrange an agreement

• speaking with opposing attorney/party and advocating your position

• seeking representation at contested hearings if necessary