Unmarried Parents FAQs

Yes, you can find the necessary paperwork on the Maricopa County website.

Yes, you may be able to draft a legally binding agreement, signed by both parties, without filing it with the court. It is not however, a court order unless a Judge signs off on your agreement.

No. The state does charge a fee depending on what paperwork is required to prove paternity.

Not as long as he/she is a minor. Arizona law allows parents to establish paternity anytime during pregnancy up until the child turns 18.

Yes, it will. Every parent must pay for their children, whether they live at the house or whether you must pay the other parent who cares for them.

If it is uncontested, yes it does.

You have no parental rights until paternity is established. That does not mean, however, that the Father should be denied time with the child. A later determination about disputed custody will include the court reviewing how each parent treated the other parent with regard to access to the baby or child. If a parent denies the other parent time with the child for no good reason, it will be reviewed at a later date regarding custody. Good reason could include domestic violence, drug abuse, mental illness, criminal behavior or child abuse.

It is important to have attorneys explain to you what the consequences will be of any legal action. Even if a legal action is simple, it can have important consequences down the road. The attorneys at Best Law Firm will be able to explain this to you and help you fill out any documents and submit them to the court thus simplifying the process for you.