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Paternity Attorney in Morris County

A Certified Matrimonial Attorney for Your Paternity Matter

At Riordan Family Law, we represent mothers and fathers seeking to establish or contest paternity in Morris County and throughout New Jersey. We also handle the custody, parenting time, and financial support questions that can follow a parentage determination. Establishing legal parentage gives unmarried parents a foundation for pursuing enforceable rights and responsibilities, while contesting paternity can affect whether a legal parent-child relationship is recognized.

Catherine F. Riordan is a Certified Matrimonial Attorney designated by the New Jersey Supreme Court. She brings that focused family law background to parentage cases and related modification proceedings.

Call (973) 577-4118 to discuss your paternity concern and identify the family law issues that may need attention.

Resolving Paternity Cases in Morris County

A paternity matter begins by determining whether parentage has already been legally established and whether the parents agree. We assess the circumstances, explain the available legal paths, and identify related issues that require attention. Our role may continue after parentage is resolved if an agreement or court order is needed for custody, parenting time, or support.

Depending on the dispute, our representation may involve:

Mediation: Catherine F. Riordan is a court-approved family law mediator who works with parents seeking agreements on parentage-related issues.
Litigation: We handle contested family law proceedings when the parties don’t agree or a judicial determination is required.
Appeals: We handle family law appeals when a party seeks review of a court decision.

We tailor our approach to the facts rather than assuming every disagreement belongs in the same process. Some parents can resolve connected issues through mediation, while others need litigation to obtain a determination. Throughout the case, we maintain open communication so you understand what’s being addressed and why.

Speak with a Paternity Lawyer Serving Morris County

We serve clients in Parsippany and throughout Morris County, New Jersey. We provide informed, prompt, and professional guidance to parents who need to establish parentage, challenge a claim, or address the family law issues that follow.

Contact Riordan Family Law at (973) 577-4118 or through our contact form to discuss your paternity concern.

Establishing Paternity Under New Jersey Law

The New Jersey Parentage Act, N.J.S.A. 9:17-38 et seq., provides the legal framework for establishing parentage. Under N.J.S.A. 9:17-41, a natural father’s parent-child relationship may be established through a court adjudication, recognition of another state’s determination, or a Certificate of Parentage.

A Certificate of Parentage is a signed voluntary acknowledgment of paternity. Under New Jersey law, that acknowledgment constitutes a legal finding of paternity. A person who signed it may rescind the acknowledgment within 60 days after signing or before a support order is established, whichever occurs first. Because the available options can depend on what was signed and when, we review the existing legal status before determining the next step.

Contested Paternity & Genetic Testing in Morris County

When parents disagree about biological parentage, genetic testing may become part of the court proceeding. Paternity proceedings and related parenting or support issues in the county are handled by the Morris County Family Part, with family matters administered in Morristown as part of the Morris/Sussex Vicinage.

Catherine F. Riordan has served as a volunteer Early Settlement Panelist in the Morris County Family Part since 2004 and as a Blue Ribbon Panelist since 2013.

Genetic Testing Costs & Related Family Issues

In a contested case, the State IV-D agency, the government child support enforcement agency operating under federal Title IV-D, pays for court-ordered genetic testing. It may seek repayment from an alleged father if his paternity is established. When a party contests the initial test results, New Jersey law requires additional testing if that party advances the payment.

A paternity complaint can involve more than the test itself. The court may also need to determine how parentage affects support or whether additional proceedings are necessary to address parenting arrangements. We keep those connected questions in view as the case develops.

Filing Deadlines & Effects of Legal Parentage

An action to establish parentage in New Jersey generally must be filed no later than five years after the child reaches age 18, which ordinarily means before the child’s 23rd birthday. Extraordinary circumstances may support equitable tolling, a legal doctrine that can pause or extend a filing period when fairness and the specific facts justify it. Whether that doctrine applies depends on the circumstances.

For an unmarried father, legally established paternity is the foundation for seeking parental rights. Once parentage is recognized, either parent may ask that parental rights and responsibilities, a parenting schedule, and child support be addressed through an agreement or court order. Those issues remain subject to their own legal standards and the facts affecting the child and parents.

Legal parentage may also affect a child’s inheritance rights and eligibility for certain benefits. Its consequences can therefore extend beyond identifying a biological relationship. We help parents evaluate those consequences and determine how to proceed.

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Contact Our Family Law Attorneys Today

Call (973) 537-1700 or email us below. We will get back to you promptly.

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