Paternity

Knowledgeable Indiana Paternity Lawyers

At Efron, Efron & Yahne, in Hammond, Indiana, our paternity lawyers are committed to helping parents work through the complex issues associated with paternity. Often, establishing paternity is a stepping stone toward the resolution of another issue, such as child custody, child support, or inheritance and probate disputes.

Skilled Indiana Paternity Attorneys

A paternity action takes place in the Juvenile Court system in Lake or Porter counties to determine the biological father of a child that is not born of a marriage. This proceeding is typically filed by the mother or the father. Another reason to file this type of action is to obtain an Order of custody, visitation, and child support.

Child Support:

Parents have a legal obligation to financially support their child. Once paternity is established, the Juvenile Court will calculate child support. This is based upon each parent's gross income, whether a parent pays health insurance, day care expenses, child support for children from another marriage, and whether either parent has subsequent children.

Although child support is usually ordered on a weekly basis, it will more than likely be paid in accordance with the obligor's pay schedule. This is the effect of a Wage Withholding Order.

The Court also calculates child support keeping in mind how often the non-custodial parent regularly visits with their child during overnight visits.

Normally, the non-custodial parent will pay child support until the child is 21 years old. There are exceptions:

• If the court finds that the child is incapacitated, child support can be extended past his or her 21st birthday.
• If the court finds that the child has turned eighteen years of age, has graduated high school with no plans of attending college, is not enrolled in a post-secondary school for the prior four months and is capable of supporting him or herself OR married or joined the armed services or is not under the control of either parent, the child may be emancipated before the child's 21st birthday. 

Modification:

Custody, visitation and child support can be modified by a Court approved agreement or by Court order when there has been a substantial change of circumstances, pursuant to statute or for other reason that your attorney may explain after consultation.

Name Change:

If your child was given his or her mother's last name on the birth certificate, you can request the Court to change or hyphenate your child's name to include your last name as well at the Paternity hearing.

Contact our Indiana Paternity Lawyers

If you have any questions about paternity, please contact the Indiana paternity lawyers at Efron, Efron & Yahne. Our attorneys can be reached by phone at [219] 931-5380, by e-mail, or by filling out the intake form on our Contact Us page.

Efron, Efron & Yahne in Hammond, Indiana, handles paternity matters for clients throughout Northwest Indiana, Lake County, Porter County, and the Chicago area including the cities of Whiting, East Chicago, Gary, Portage, Munster, Valparaiso, Highland, Griffith, Schererville, Crown Point, Dyer, St. John, Merrillville, Hobart, and Cedar Lake.