Anchorage Family Law Blog For Men

When an Alaska couple has children together, things can get complicated if the pair decides to separate. Whether they want to maintain contact with their children or not, Alaskan fathers face a whole set of challenges.

Establishing paternity can be important in more ways than one. Sometimes, establishing paternity is important in child support cases, especially if a man wants to contest it so he doesn't have to pay support to a child who could be someone else's. If the couple is unmarried and the mother wants to put the child up for adoption but the man doesn't, establishing paternity gives the father a say in the matter. Establishing paternity also gives the father the right to agree to the adoption. Paternity may be involved in child visitation and inheritance issues.

When a child is born in Alaska, the mother's husband is generally considered the legal father. However, if a father is not married to the mother when the child is born, he may have to take steps to gain rights to his son or daughter. In some cases, the father's name will be put on the child's birth certificate. He can also voluntarily acknowledge paternity after the child is born.

If a man is considered the father of a child, he may have to pay child support. He could also be given custody rights to the child if he is fit to have them. In the event that the parents are living together, there may be no need for a formal custody and child support order. Otherwise, a child's parents can come together to create a parenting plan if they are able to work together. There is a strong chance that a court will approve the plan if it meets the needs of the child.

Grandparents in Alaska can obtain custody or visitation rights with their grandchildren if it is in the child's best interest. Such rights are generally granted when a child is put up for adoption or if the parents are deceased. In some states, at least one parent must be deceased before grandparents can have visitation rights with the child. In others, the marital status of the parents is more important.

Furthermore, there must generally be some sort of established relationship between the grandparent and grandchild. It may also need to be shown that there won't be harm inflicted on the relationship between the parent and child if visitation is granted. Finally, a grandparent may need to show that there won't be harm inflicted on the child if visitation rights are not granted. If a child has been adopted, this could have an impact on a grandparent's visitation rights.

Many fathers in Alaska do not have physical custody of their children, but that does not mean they are uninvolved in their children's lives. For example, many non-custodial parents share legal custody of the kids, meaning that they have a right to participate in the major decisions about a child's upbringing, education and health care. In addition, many fathers who do not have custody do have extensive visitation rights and are paying child support to cover their kids' expenses.

While some fathers do owe back child support, most non-custodial fathers are very committed to supporting their children's growth and care. In addition, many fathers without custody are heavily involved in their children's lives, education and activities, supporting their interests and enjoying a warm, loving relationship. In fact, most non-custodial parents work very hard to protect their parent-child relationships, even when they are made more difficult by circumstances or by actively negative behavior from the other parent.