Legal Definitions - acknowledgment of paternity

An acknowledgment of paternity is a legal process where a father publicly recognizes a child as his own. This can be done through a formal or informal acknowledgment.

A formal acknowledgment is a written declaration that meets a state's requirements for execution. This is typically done by signing in the presence of two witnesses. In Louisiana law, a mother can also make this recognition. Another way to make a formal acknowledgment is by signing the child's registry of birth or baptismal certificate as the father or announcing at the baptismal service that he is the father.

John signs the birth certificate of his newborn son, acknowledging himself as the father.

An informal acknowledgment is when a father recognizes a child as his own not by a written declaration but by receiving the child into his family or supporting the child and otherwise treating the child as his own offspring.

Tom has been living with his girlfriend and her daughter for two years. He has been supporting the child financially and emotionally, treating her as his own daughter. This is an informal acknowledgment of paternity.

Overall, an acknowledgment of paternity is a way for a father to legally recognize a child as his own. This can have important implications for child support, custody, and inheritance rights.