Walk It Through: A New Baby
An unmarried couple, the paternity form, the name on the certificate, and the car seat.
A couple who have lived together for years have a baby, and assume they count as married.
Two things a person in this spot might do. Picking one shows what the law says about it.
One family's first year. Child support, a husband who is not the father, adoption and a court paternity case are not worked through here.
A practice walkthrough, not a prediction of how any real one will go. Legal information, not legal advice.
Words this turns on
Terms with a legal meaning that is narrower than the everyday one. Each links to the definition and the authority behind it.
- Voluntary acknowledgment of paternityA signed and notarized form for an Idaho birth, filed with the vital statistics unit, that is a legal finding of paternity, and that a signer may rescind within sixty days.
- Common law marriageA marriage formed by a couple simply assuming marital rights and duties, which Idaho does not recognize unless it began before January 1, 1996.
- MinorA person under eighteen years of age. A minor who has been married may enter contracts and sue on them.