Not all relationships work out, but sometimes those relationships result in a child. Just because you are not in the other parent's life does not mean you cannot be involved in your child's.

Studies show children tend to be better adjusted when they have both parents in their lives. It's imperative that you know about your parental and custodial rights as a dad.

What your rights are as a father

Far too often in our society, the importance of fathers is overlooked. In fact, the law seems to favor mothers over fathers when it comes to child custody decisions. While this may be justifiable in some circumstances, in others it is wholly unfair. But to get to the heart of the matter you have to understand the impact an active father can have on a child’s life.

There are many ways that a father can positively influence his child. By playing an active role, a father can increase his child’s ability to build healthy relationships and confidence. Some studies have even shown that children who have an active father in their life develop better problem-solving skills. A father can decrease the chances that his child will engage in risky behavior later down the road, and a father’s presence can even lead to an increased likelihood that a child will go to college.

An active father can have a tremendous impact on a child’s mental health, too. Those children who have an active father in their life are less likely to develop psychological problems. One study has even shown that children to lean on their fathers more when it comes to dealing with social issues, which arguably could mean that fathers can help alleviate the anxiety associated with social pressures. And all of that is just the start of a father’s impact.

During the divorce process, it is often easy to become so wrapped up in the emotions of the marital split-up that one fails to think logically about huge issues such as property and asset distribution in Illinois. In fact, one's financial well-being in the future might be the farthest thing from one's mind. Making poor decisions during a divorce proceeding today, however, may cost a person for years or even decades to come.

One of the biggest mistakes people make when getting divorced is agreeing to things that are not written in their divorce decrees. Likewise, people sometimes expect things to happen that are not stipulated in writing. It is important that everything agreed to is in writing, as the other party during an emotional divorce may not always act in a rational manner in the future.

For example, if a future ex says he will pass a certain asset down to one's children when he passes away, this is based on a promise that might or might not happen if it is not recorded in writing. If the ex decides to remarry in the near future and start a new family, he might end up feeling less generous toward one's kids. Sometimes people avoid demanding that promises be written down in order to avoid conflict with their future exes, but this can quickly backfire on them.

Under Illinois law, paternity is a term that refers to the biological relationship between a father and his child. This relationship also has legal implications. Paternity is used to determine matters such as child support, custody, visitation and inheritance.

When a married couple has a child, the husband is assumed to be the biological father and is granted paternity. An unmarried couple will find themselves in a different situation. If they get married after the birth of the child, then the husband will be legally presumed to be the biological father of their child. If they do not get married, they may opt to submit a form which voluntarily establishes the paternity of the father.

If none of these options are used, the mother of the child or the court may file a paternity action against the alleged biological father. This action will require the alleged father to appear in court as well as undergo DNA testing. If the results of the DNA test indicate that the man is the biological father of the child, he will be granted paternity and will then be required to abide by the court's orders regarding child support.

In Illinois divorce cases, establishing paternity can be one of the most important steps for determining certain important issues. Paternity refers to the biological relationship between a father and a child. Under the law, the biological father of a child is also the legal father of the child, regardless of the marital status of the father. This means that fathers' rights and obligations, such as visitation and child support payments, are a part of paternity.

In some circumstances, a man may wish to challenge paternity in a custody case. This can be done for multiple reasons. A man may believe that he is not the biological father of a child and therefore should not be granted fathers' rights, obligations and responsibilities. In other cases, a man who has not been granted legal paternity may believe that he is actually the biological father of the child and may wish to challenge the paternity status of the legal father.

In order to formally challenge paternity, it is necessary to file a court complaint. This will initiate a suit to establish paternity. As part of the investigative process, the court may order blood tests, DNA tests and other medical procedures to discover biological paternity. Once the evidence has been collected and analyzed, the court will issue a ruling establishing paternity and granting fathers' rights to the biological father.