Overview
"Paternity" is the term used to refer to the legal father of a child under Minnesota law. Once a man is established as the legal father of a child, he has an obligation to financially support the child and he may ask for a court order for custody and parenting time.
While every child has a biological father, establishment of a legal father is not always automatic. Under Minnesota law, if a child's biological mother and biological father are not married to each other when the child is born, the biological father is not recognized as the legal father until someone takes legal steps to establish paternity. The biological father has no legal rights to the child or responsibilities to financially support the child, even if his name is on the child's birth certificate. The birth certificate alone is not enough to establish a legal father.
For a more detailed overview, watch the Establishing Parentage video from the MN Department of Human Services.
While every child has a biological father, establishment of a legal father is not always automatic. Under Minnesota law, if a child's biological mother and biological father are not married to each other when the child is born, the biological father is not recognized as the legal father until someone takes legal steps to establish paternity. The biological father has no legal rights to the child or responsibilities to financially support the child, even if his name is on the child's birth certificate. The birth certificate alone is not enough to establish a legal father.
For a more detailed overview, watch the Establishing Parentage video from the MN Department of Human Services.