Divorced Parents & Child Visitation, Legitimation and Paternity

The legislation within the state of Washington which surround what are termed divorce proceedings in the majority of states are in fact a bit more progressive compared to the norm. Because of this, the concept of "child visitation" is a bit of a misnomer when it's applied to the state of Washington divorce law. In truth, the expression "divorce" isn't applied in any way; that which is normally called a divorce in many other states will be legally termed as a "dissolution of marriage" in the state of Washington. As opposed to the states that feature the reasons of fault or no-fault as choices for individuals filing for divorce cases, Washington law provides for just one ground, that of an "irretrievably broken" spousal relationship. So the activities of the respective former spouses through the marital relationship are not looked at if the court is asked to determine the conditions of questions like child custody and subsequent visitation rights.

Each time a married couple who may have children make a decision to obtain a separation and divorce, the laws in regards to the legal rights and responsibilities of the divorcing husband and wife are very clearly explained. In circumstances when a child or children are born to fathers and mothers who aren't married, and also paternity is actually recognized, the parent/child association within the eyes of the law is the same as that of mothers and fathers that are married. Paternity is usually demonstrated by the shared agreement of the mother and father of the child. When a child is born, the hospital will offer the couple the chance to fill out a paternity affidavit that attests to the parentage of the father; this sort of affidavit can also be filed at some future date.

One can find times when the case of paternity will be brought into question. This can happen in the event the mother of the child chooses to confirm paternity of the father to help obtain child support payments, plus it could also come into play when a male claiming to be the father may be looking for parental privileges and eager to accept the associated accountabilities. This is achieved by simply submitting a parentage petition with the Superior Court. As soon as paternity is established, the parents will be required to submit either a shared or competing parenting plan in much the same it is expected of married parents who are going through a dissolution of marriage proceeding.

For those who have any kind of questions or concerns in relation to child visitation, legitimation and paternity, speak to a Tacoma military divorce attorney for a free consultation. A good family attorney Tacoma WA will give you the help you'll need with your Tacoma WA divorce.