When parentage is contested
Common contexts: a child is born to unmarried parents and the father's status is disputed; a presumed father seeks to establish or disestablish his status; an unmarried father seeks rights to a child the mother is raising alone. Parentage can be established by voluntary declaration, by court order, or — most often — by genetic testing.
Voluntary Declaration of Parentage
Form CS-909 (Voluntary Declaration of Parentage) signed at the hospital establishes legal parentage without a court order. Once filed with the Department of Child Support Services, it has the force of a judgment and is difficult to undo.
Genetic testing
When parentage is contested in court, genetic testing is the standard tool. Results that establish a 99% probability of parentage are nearly always conclusive. Either party may request testing; the court orders it routinely on a properly filed motion.
Connecting to custody and support
Establishing parentage is the predicate to a custody or support order. The parentage action is often filed jointly with a Request for Order seeking custody, visitation, and support — so the legal status and the practical orders move together.