Establishing Paternity in Chicago Child Custody Cases – Find Out About Important Deadlines that May Apply to Your Case
Establishing paternity under Illinois laws is not something that many people talk about in the Windy City on a regular basis. Indeed, the topic of establishing paternity for the purposes of child custody under Illinois laws may be a conversation topic that is difficult and emotional for many parents to discuss. One consequence of the fact that establishing paternity is not widely talked about in Chicago (and throughout Illinois and the rest of the country), is that fathers who may be interested in establishing paternity may not know about the certain deadlines that run on seeking to legally declare a father-child relationship under Illinois laws. But what exactly are these “deadlines” and what can Chicago fathers who wish to establish paternity do to fight for their child custody rights? To help Chicago fathers, parents, and families better understand the complex Illinois Parentage Act, and how to assert their parentage and child custody rights, we answer those questions here.
The Statute of Limitations on Establishing Paternity in Chicago under the Illinois Parentage Act
Many Chicago parents may be surprised to learn that the time limitations that are applicable to establishing paternity in Chicago are fairly short. Under the Illinois Parentage Act of 2015, “An alleged father…must commence an action to establish a parent-child relationship for a child having a presumed parent not later than 2 years after the petitioner knew or should have known of the relevant facts.” Accordingly, Chicago fathers have only 2 years from the date that they became aware that they were the father of the child to establish paternity, or, barring an exception, their paternity case may be barred permanently. However, the Act does provide for some exceptions. The Act establishes that, “The time the petitioner is under legal disability or duress or the ground for relief is fraudulently concealed shall be excluded in computing the period of 2 years.” As such, if the mother of the child conceals the paternity of the child by fraud, or other extenuating circumstances enumerated by the law exist, there may be some exception to the 2-year rule. Of course, to determine the specific amount of time you may have to establish parentage in your case, it is best to speak with an experienced Chicago paternity lawyer as soon as possible.
Fighting For Your Paternity Rights in Chicago with an Experienced Chicago Paternity Lawyer
No Chicago parent should have to go through the challenging process of establishing that they are the father of their own child alone. If you are in the Chicago area and you need legal help establishing paternity, do not hesitate to reach out to an experienced Chicago paternity lawyer about your case. The experienced Chicago paternity lawyers at the law firm of Arnoux Sharma Standeford, LLC are here to help Chicago fathers with their complex paternity issues. Call Arnoux Sharma Standeford, LLC today and get help from an experienced Chicago paternity lawyer now.
Source:
ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/ilcs4.asp?ActID=3638&ChapterID=59&SeqStart=4300000&SeqEnd=6600000#:~:text=(a)%20An%20alleged%20father%2C,the%20probable%20time%20of%20conception.
