Chapter 3: Identifying the Child’s Father

3.1Overview of Chapter

One of the most important steps in the adoption process is identifying a child’s father or determining he cannot be found. In identifying the father, it is important to note the type of father involved because the type of father involved will dictate which procedure the court must follow to properly proceed with an adoption. This chapter addresses the different types of fathers found in the law.

This chapter also provides an overview on the ways to establish paternity, the ways to obtain relief from paternity, and the procedures used to identify a putative father.