What is paternity? And why is it important to establish? 

Paternity is a form of legal declaration which establishes the identity of a child’s father. This is important to establish, since the legal father of a child is responsible for paying child support. The legal father of a child also has parental rights and responsibilities, which include the rights to make decisions about the child (upbringing, education, and healthcare), as well as the responsibility to maintain an emotionally supportive relationship with the child.

A legal father does not have to be biological: the court also considers individuals that have been acting in the role of a father. This is outlined in Section 9 of the document.

*For more information, see “DECLARATION OF PARENTAGE”  under “PARENTING ORDERS”