| name | paternity-petition |
| title | Petition to Establish Paternity |
| description | Drafts a Petition to Establish Paternity for family court filings. Covers court captions, standing allegations, factual bases, and relief requests with state-specific statutory requirements. Use when initiating paternity actions, child support petitions tied to parentage, custody filings requiring parentage determination, or birth certificate amendments. |
| author | CaseMark |
| author_url | https://github.com/CaseMark/skills/tree/main/skills/legal/paternity-petition |
| license | Apache-2.0 |
| version | 0.1.0 |
| execution_mode | open |
| jurisdiction | us |
| practice | family |
| language | en |
| tags | ["drafting","litigation","pleading"] |
Petition to Establish Paternity
Drafts a family court petition for judicial declaration of paternity, establishing the legal parent-child relationship as foundation for support, custody, visitation, and inheritance orders.
Prerequisites
Gather before drafting:
- Jurisdiction — state, county, family court division
- Petitioner — full name, address, standing basis (mother, alleged father, guardian, state agency)
- Respondent — full name, last known address; flag if whereabouts unknown
- Child — full name, DOB, birthplace, current residence, birth certificate details
- Relationship facts — timeline, conception window, prior acknowledgments or denials
- Prior proceedings — existing custody/support/paternity orders or pending cases
- Desired relief — support, custody, name change, birth certificate amendment, genetic testing
Quick Start
- Confirm jurisdiction and identify governing paternity statute (UPA or state equivalent)
- Collect party and child information per prerequisites
- Draft petition sections in order below
- Verify against filing checklist before finalizing
Petition Sections
1. Court Caption
| Element | Requirement |
|---|
| Court name | Full name with county/district designation |
| Case number | Assigned or "Case No. To Be Assigned" |
| Parties | Petitioner / Respondent (not plaintiff/defendant) |
| Local fields | Judge name, division, case type code per local rules |
2. Petitioner Standing
- Full name, address, phone, email; attorney info if represented (name, bar number, firm)
- Standing basis: state relationship to child
- Address confidentiality if DV protections apply
3. Respondent Information
- Full name, last known address, contact info
- Location unknown → flag service by publication
- Identity uncertain → address factual complexity while maintaining legal sufficiency
4. Child Information
- Full name (as on birth certificate), DOB, birthplace, current residence
- Whether birth certificate lists a father
