Florida Paternity and Parentage Resources

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When parents were never married, Florida law treats parentage as its own case type under Chapter 742 of the Florida Statutes. Establishing paternity is what gives a father standing to ask for time-sharing and gives either parent the ability to ask for child support.

The official family law forms index contains the petition to determine paternity and the related paperwork. A paternity case can also set a parenting plan and child support in the same action, so the custody and support resources on this site apply here too.

Official Florida paternity resources

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Chapter 742, Determination of Parentage (Florida Legislature): Florida's paternity statute. Used to legally establish a father where the parents are not married, required before an unmarried father has any time-sharing or decision-making rights. http://www.leg.state.fl.us/Statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=0700-0799/0742/0742ContentsIndex.html

Florida Family Law Forms (official index) (Florida State Courts System): The complete, current collection of Florida Supreme Court approved family law forms with instructions. When in doubt, start here. https://flcourts.gov/Resources-Services/Office-of-Family-Courts/Family-Law-Forms-Self-Help-Information

Florida courts family law self-help information (Florida State Courts System): Official self-help information for Florida family cases, including where to find help in your county. https://www.flcourts.gov/Resources-Services/Court-Improvement/Family-Courts/Family-Law-Self-Help-Information

Florida Courts E-Filing Portal (Florida Courts E-Filing Authority): One statewide portal covers every Florida county and is built for self-represented people as well as lawyers. E-filing is optional for you, and paper filing with your clerk is still fine. https://www.myflcourtaccess.com/

Frequently asked questions

Does signing the birth certificate establish paternity in Florida?

A voluntary acknowledgment signed by both parents can establish paternity, but an acknowledgment alone does not create a time-sharing schedule. A court case under Chapter 742 is how a parenting plan and support order get put in place.

Can paternity, custody, and support be handled in one case?

Yes. A Florida paternity action can establish parentage, adopt a parenting plan, and set guideline child support in the same proceeding.