Experienced Tampa and Riverview Paternity Lawyers.
Hillsborough County—Tampa, Florida—Brandon, Florida—Riverview, Florida
The family law firm of Lynette Silon-Laguna, P.A. handles paternity suits initiated by both mothers and fathers who have had a child and are not married. Founding and lead attorney, Lynette Silon-Laguna, has handled thousands of family cases since 1997, including numerous cases involving paternity-related disputes.
Paternity suits filed by mothers most often seek child support payments from the child's father. Paternity suits filed by fathers most often seek to establish time sharing/visitation rights, and also to have the father legally named as the child's father. Even if the father is on the child's birth certificate, legally he is not the father until a Final Judgment of Paternity has been entered and before then he has no legal rights to the child.
In cases involving disputes over the identity of the father, we begin by filing a Petition for Paternity with the court to mandate DNA testing. An order for DNA testing will not occur unless a paternity action is filed, unless both parents agree to it. If the test establishes the father's paternity, the parties can proceed to resolve child custody, visitation and child support issues. The procedure in a paternity action is similar to the procedure in a divorce action, except there are no assets and liabilities to divide.
If the parties can agree, a paternity settlement agreement and/or a parenting plan will be drafted either at mediation or between the parties and their attorneys. Otherwise, the Court will decide the outcome at a final hearing. The firm attorneys at Lynette Silon-Laguna, P.A. are experienced in preparing paternity settlement agreements and/or parenting plans to resolve the child issues involved. Furthermore, if you cannot resolve your issues by agreement, then we will aggressively litigate your realistic goals before the court.
Contact Us
If you have questions regarding divorce, family law, bankruptcy or foreclosure defense, contact Lynette Silon-Laguna, P.A. We provide a free initial consultation, accept MasterCard and Visa, and charge reasonable and competitive rates. Furthermore, we have a highly qualified staff of legal assistants and associate attorneys, including a Spanish-speaking associate attorney.
Our office is conveniently located in the Brandon/Riverview area on Highway 301 South directly off of Interstate 75 near the intersection of Bloomingdale Avenue. Contact our firm by email or call 813.672.1900. We will respond immediately!
