Many single parents in Nebraska and elsewhere find it challenging to co-parent. Some single mothers may have decided not to put their baby’s father on the birth certificate, in order to avoid the difficulties that can arise from two parents having conflicting views on raising children or to protect themselves and their children from domestic violence situations. These can be valid reasons not to establish paternity. However, you may be interested in the reasons why it can be beneficial to have the father’s name listed on the birth certificate.
According to Verywell Family, in most cases, children should be able to have a relationship with both parents, which is a compelling reason to establish paternity. With the father being involved, your children would also have access to child support. Establishing paternity can offer your children additional advantages that you might not have thought about, such as the following:
- The knowledge of their father’s medical history, which can be important if there are certain health conditions that run in the family
- Access to veteran’s benefits or Social Security benefits upon the father’s death
- The possibility of being included in the father’s will or named as the beneficiary of a trust fund
It is not always easy to establish paternity if the father was not involved during and after the birth of your child. The alleged father might not realize he fathered a child, or he might not wish to have the legal and financial responsibilities of caring for a child. If this is the case, you may need to contact the Office of Child Support Enforcement for assistance in establishing paternity. Like other family law matters, this topic can be complex. Therefore, this information should not replace the advice of a lawyer.
