Beratung und Beistandschaft bei der Feststellung der Vaterschaft

You have or will have a child and the father of the child does not want to acknowledge his paternity or is unknown? Get advice on what you can do and who can help you.

If you have a child and are not married to the child's father, the father does not automatically become the child's legal father. This is done by voluntarily acknowledging paternity.

If the father does not voluntarily acknowledge paternity or it is unclear who the father is, there is also the option of judicial determination of paternity.

You can seek advice on this from the Youth Welfare Office. The Youth Welfare Office will also support you in establishing paternity.

With paternity established, you can clarify other matters:

• Maintenance claims of the child
• Maintenance claims of the mother
• Custody of the child
• Inheritance claims of the child
• Granting of the father's name

However, the child also has a right to know its origin.

You can apply for a guardianship to establish paternity.

The guardianship does not restrict parental care. The guardian represents the child in the process of establishing paternity. The guardian can act on behalf of the child out of court and in court. Once legal paternity has been established, the guardian can also resolve issues of child support.

Specifically, the Advocate can do the following:

• Requesting the father to acknowledge paternity and recording the necessary documents.
• Arranging for the paternity to be clarified by the court
• Calculation of your child's maintenance entitlement
• Regular review of the child support claim
• Recording of a deed of support
• judicial enforcement of the maintenance claim
• Collection and control of alimony payments
• Determining the whereabouts and employer of the parent liable for maintenance payments
• Initiation of enforcement measures

You can terminate the guardianship at any time by written declaration.

Depending on the need. No special documents are required for the consultation. If existing documents are brought to the initial meeting, this enables a targeted consultation.

You can seek advice on the subject at any time.

The expectant mother can apply for guardianship before the child is born if she is not married and the parents have not made joint declarations of custody.

After the birth, the guardianship can be applied for at any time until the child reaches the age of majority.

The counseling and the guardianship are free of charge.

Court proceedings conducted within the framework of a guardianship may incur costs in individual cases.

Make an appointment with the local youth welfare office. The appointment can also take place at home if you wish.

A written application to the local youth welfare office is sufficient for the guardianship. Upon receipt of the application, the Youth Welfare Office immediately becomes the child's guardian. The Youth Welfare Office at the place of residence of the applicant parent is responsible.

There are no special deadlines to be observed.

Upon receipt of the application for guardianship, the youth welfare office immediately becomes the child's guardian.

The guardianship ends as soon as you inform the Youth Welfare Office in writing.

The Youth Welfare Office also does the following:

• The Youth Welfare Office advises and assists you in asserting maintenance claims.
• The Youth Welfare Office notarizes paternity acknowledgments and consents, maintenance claims, declarations of custody for joint custody and maternity acknowledgments.
• The Youth Welfare Office issues certificates for unmarried mothers that there is no entry in the custody register and that the mother therefore has sole custody.

• Paternity establishment counseling and support
• If father does not acknowledge paternity or father is unknown
• Right to counseling and support
• If judicial determination: youth welfare office appoints counselor
• Advocate represents the mother
• Custody remains with the mother
• Responsible: Local youth welfare office

Please contact your local youth welfare office.