Clarify Legal Parentage and Parental Rights

Paternity Lawyer in Owings Mills for fathers and mothers needing to establish or dispute legal parentage

Law Office of David Mahood assists clients in Owings Mills who need to establish paternity or respond to paternity claims in Maryland family court. Determining legal fatherhood is often the first step in pursuing custody rights, setting visitation schedules, or enforcing child support obligations. If you are a father seeking to assert your parental rights, you may need to file a paternity action to be recognized as the legal parent. If you are a mother seeking child support or trying to establish custody, proving paternity may be required before the court will address those issues. If you are facing a paternity claim you believe is inaccurate, you have the right to contest it and request genetic testing.


Maryland law presumes that a man is the legal father if he was married to the mother at the time of the child's birth or if he signed an Affidavit of Parentage at the hospital. If neither of those conditions applies, paternity must be established through a court proceeding. The court may order genetic testing, which compares DNA samples from the child, the mother, and the alleged father. If the test confirms paternity, the court will issue an order recognizing legal fatherhood, which then allows the father to pursue custody or visitation and creates the obligation to pay child support. David Mahood represents clients throughout the paternity process, whether you are filing a case, responding to a claim, or seeking to overturn a previous acknowledgment of paternity based on new evidence.



If you need to establish paternity or respond to a paternity claim in Owings Mills, contact Law Office of David Mahood to discuss your case and the legal steps required.

How Maryland Courts Determine and Enforce Paternity

You should expect the paternity process to begin with a petition filed in circuit court, followed by service of notice to the other party. If the alleged father does not dispute paternity, the court may enter an order without requiring genetic testing. If paternity is contested, the court will typically order DNA testing through an approved laboratory. The test involves a simple cheek swab from the child, mother, and alleged father, and results are usually available within a few weeks. If the test shows a probability of paternity above a certain threshold, the court will issue a paternity order.



After paternity is established, you will have the legal standing to file for custody, request visitation, or seek child support. If you are the mother, a paternity order allows you to pursue child support enforcement through the Maryland State Disbursement Unit. If you are the father, the order gives you the right to participate in decisions about your child's upbringing and to seek a parenting time schedule. Law Office of David Mahood helps clients take the next steps after paternity is determined, including filing custody or support motions and preparing for hearings.

Paternity can also be contested after an Affidavit of Parentage has been signed, but only under specific circumstances. If you signed the affidavit and later discovered you are not the biological father, you may be able to challenge it if you can show fraud, duress, or a material mistake of fact. The court will consider how much time has passed since the affidavit was signed and whether rescinding it would be in the child's best interest. These cases are fact-intensive and require careful legal analysis.

What Clients Ask About Paternity Cases

Paternity matters often raise questions about testing procedures, legal timelines, and the rights that follow from a paternity determination.

What is required to establish paternity in Maryland?

Paternity can be established by marriage to the mother at the time of birth, by signing an Affidavit of Parentage, or by court order following genetic testing. If none of these apply, a paternity action must be filed in circuit court.

How accurate is genetic testing in paternity cases?

Court-ordered DNA testing in Maryland is highly accurate, with probability rates typically exceeding ninety-nine percent when the tested individual is the biological father. The court relies on these results to issue paternity orders.

When can I file a paternity action in Owings Mills?

A paternity action can be filed at any time before the child turns eighteen. However, filing sooner allows you to establish custody, visitation, and support arrangements earlier, which benefits both the child and the parents.

What happens if the alleged father refuses to take a DNA test?

If the alleged father refuses to cooperate with court-ordered genetic testing, the court may enter a default judgment establishing paternity based on the refusal. This allows the case to proceed without the test results.

How does a paternity order affect custody and child support in Owings Mills?

Once paternity is established, the legal father has the same rights and responsibilities as any other parent. This includes the right to seek custody or visitation and the obligation to pay child support according to Maryland's guidelines.

If you need to establish or contest paternity in Maryland family court, Law Office of David Mahood can guide you through the filing process, testing procedures, and the legal actions that follow a paternity determination.

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