Five important things that unwed fathers need to know

Article here. Excerpt:

'Unwed dads usually face tremendous challenges when trying to assert their rights as fathers. Historically, dads have tried (usually in vain) to navigate the family law system themselves, without any real knowledge as to how to do so successfully. Although there is no substitute for competent legal counsel, hopefully the list below will help dads better understand what they should and should not do when tackling legal issues concerning their children.

The following list contains five important things that unwed fathers need to know:

1. Signing the birth certificate for your child does NOT mean that you have asserted your rights as a father. Only a court can adjudicate (confirm) paternity. Without a court order, the father of the child does not legally have any rights to the child (although there is still an obligation to support the child). Dad needs to file an action to establish paternity in order to have the court recognize him as the child’s father and confirm his rights related to that relationship.'