New York Paternity and Parentage Resources

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When parents were never married, parentage usually has to be established before a court will set a schedule or an amount of support. In New York that case is handled by the Supreme Court.

Establishing parentage is what gives a father the standing to ask for time with his child, and it is what lets either parent ask the court for support. In many states the same case can settle parentage, the parenting schedule, and child support together.

Official New York paternity resources

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New York family law forms (official index) (New York judicial branch): The official statewide collection of New York family law forms. When a direct document link stops working, this index is where the current version lives. https://www.nycourts.gov/forms/familycourt

New York court self-help resources (New York courts self-help): Official self-help information for people handling their own New York family case, including instructions and plain-language guides. https://www.nycourts.gov/courthelp

NYSCEF (NY State Unified Court System): NYSCEF is New York's e-filing system. If you do not have a lawyer you are never required to e-file, but you can choose to use NYSCEF for divorce cases in counties where it is offered, and Family Court e-filing is available only in some counties and case types. https://iapps.courts.state.ny.us/nyscef/HomePage

New York child support guideline resources (nycourts.gov): Official New York child support guideline materials, worksheets, or calculators. https://www.childsupport.ny.gov/dcse/calculator.html

Verified official New York parentage documents

These official documents are used to establish or contest parentage in New York.

Paternity Petition (Form 5-1), form 5-1 (Paternity), official document: https://www.nycourts.gov/LegacyPDFS/FORMS/familycourt/pdfs/5-1.pdf

Official link data for New York was last verified June 2026. Report anything outdated through our contact page and we will re-check the official source.

Frequently asked questions

Does signing the birth certificate settle everything?

A voluntary acknowledgment can establish parentage, but on its own it does not create a parenting schedule or a support order. Those come from a court case.

Can parentage, custody, and support be handled together?

In many states one case can cover all three. Check the official New York forms and self-help material above to see how this state organizes it.