If the parents are not married to each other, the natural father of a child is not automatically also the legally recognized father. Recognition with all rights and obligations only takes place through the public certification of a declaration by the father. The mother must agree to the declaration.
Your municipality is responsible for paternity acknowledgment. As soon as an online service is available for the service, you will find the link here in the family portal.
You can have paternity acknowledged at the registry office or youth welfare office responsible for you. Likewise at the local court or a notary. You can find more information and details on the website of your municipality.
Why is the paternity acknowledgment important?
An acknowledgement of paternity is important if the parents are not married to each other at the time of the child's birth. Without a notarization of paternity acknowledgment, the father in these cases has no legal relationship with his child.
What does acknowledgment of paternity mean?
The relationship between father and child is legally recognized only when the father asserts in a voluntary declaration of intent that he is the father of the child. Paternity must be publicly certified. The mother must consent to the acknowledgement of paternity. The mother's declaration of consent must also be publicly notarized.
Where does the paternity acknowledgment take place?
The notarization of the acknowledgment of paternity and the mother's declaration of consent can take place at
.be handed in.
What rights and obligations arise from the acknowledgement of paternity?
.When a man acknowledges paternity, he has the following rights and obligations:
Which requirements must be met?
Paternity can be acknowledged if the following conditions are met:
If the mother does not have custody of the child in question, the consent of the child is required. In the case of an incompetent child or a child under 14 years of age, the consent of a legal representative is required.
Acknowledgements or consents must be given in person.
What documents do I need to submit?
For the declaration of paternity you need:
When and how can I acknowledge my paternity?
To acknowledge paternity, you do not have to wait until your child is born. The certification is possible before birth, but also at any time later.
However, it may make sense to have paternity acknowledged before the child is born. If the child is to be given the father's surname, this can be entered directly on the child's birth certificate when the child is born. This saves an additional trip to the authorities.
The declaration of recognition can also be made after the death of the child, as well as for stillborn children.
Please arrange an appointment with the notarizing office in advance. The notarization itself takes approx. 45 to 60 minutes.
The certification at the youth welfare office or registry office is free of charge.
The notarization at a notary, a notary public or at the district court may incur costs.
Paternity is regulated by the following laws:
You need to take care of these formalities after the birth
.