Although a minor himself, a teenage father possesses a set of rights in regard to his child, according to "Child Custody A to Z" by Guy J. White. A judicial proceeding is necessary for a teen father to establish fully his rights as a dad. Because the father himself is a minor, a legal action to establish and enforce his parental rights is brought on his behalf by a parent or by a guardian ad litem, a special attorney appointed by the court.
Establish Paternity
A fundamental right of a teenage father is establishing legal paternity over his child, according to the American Bar Association Section of Family Law. Two legal avenues exist through which a teen father establishes paternity. First, provided the birth mother concurs, a teenage father can execute an affidavit or acknowledgment of paternity. Technically speaking, one of his parents actually signs the document on his behalf.
The second course a teen father can take, if the birth mother does not concede paternity, is filing a paternity case. Filing a paternity lawsuit technically is filed on his behalf by a parent or a court-appointed lawyer. Through the case, the judge orders DNA testing to determine parentage.
Child Custody
Another of the rights of a teenage father is to seek custody of the child, once he is legally deemed the father. Because he is a teen, his own parents participate in the process to seek custody of the child.
The standard used by the court in determining whether a teenage father is awarded custody is determining what custody scheme serves the best interests of the child.
Child Visitation
A teen dad's rights include seeking and obtaining visitation with his child. In most states, laws utilized the term parenting time for the sessions a non-custodial parent spends with his child. The underlying concept of parenting time is that a father, even a teenage one, is entitled to be more than a mere visitor in the life of his child. Depending on the age of the teenage father, and his experience and existing relationship with his child, parenting time may occur in supervised form, likely at the home of his own parents.
References
- "Child Custody A to Z"; Guy J. White; 2005
- American Bar Association: Section of Family Law
- NOLO: Child Custody FAQ
