Advice and support in establishing paternity

Do you have or are you expecting a child, and the child's father refuses to acknowledge paternity or is unknown? Seek advice on what you can do and who can help you.

If you have a child and are not married to the child's father, he does not automatically become the legal father. This requires a voluntary acknowledgment of paternity (only if the mother is not married to another man).

If the father does not voluntarily acknowledge paternity or if it is unclear who the father is, there is also the option of a court-ordered determination of paternity.

Advice

You can seek advice from the Social Services Office regarding this matter. The Social Services Office also assists you in establishing paternity.

Once paternity has been established, you can clarify further matters:

• Child support claims
• The mother's maintenance claims
• Custody
• The child's inheritance rights
• Granting of the father's name

The child also has a right to know their origins.

Guardianship

You can apply for legal assistance to establish paternity.

The appointment of a guardian does not restrict parental rights. The guardian represents the child in the context of establishing paternity. The guardian can act on behalf of the child both out of court and in court. Once legal paternity has been established, the guardian can also clarify issues of child support.

Specifically, the support person can do the following:

• Request from the father to acknowledge paternity and to provide the necessary documents
• Initiation of legal proceedings to clarify paternity
• Calculation of your child's maintenance entitlement
• Regular review of the maintenance claim
  ; recording of a document regarding maintenance.
• Judicial enforcement of the maintenance claim
• Collection and monitoring of alimony payments
• Determining the whereabouts and employer of the parent liable for maintenance

Requirements

You can seek advice on this topic at any time.

The expectant mother can apply for guardianship even before the birth of the child if she is not married and the parents have not made joint declarations of custody.

After birth, guardianship can be requested at any time until the child reaches the age of majority.

Proceedings

Schedule an appointment with your local social services center. The appointment can also take place at your home if you prefer.

To obtain legal guardianship, a written application to the locally responsible social services office is sufficient. Upon receipt of the application, the youth welfare office immediately becomes the child's legal guardian. The youth welfare office responsible is the one located in the place of residence of the applying parent.

Legal basis: Section 52a of the Social Code, Book VIII (SGB VIII)

The youth welfare office also does the following:

• The youth welfare office will advise and support you in asserting maintenance claims.
• The youth welfare office certifies paternity acknowledgments and consents, maintenance claims, declarations of joint custody and maternity acknowledgments.
• The youth welfare office issues certificates for unmarried mothers stating that there is no entry in the custody register and that the mother therefore has sole custody.

Responsible authorities

• Social Center 1 Bremen North – Guardianship/Maintenance for Minors – Blumenthal, Vegesack, Burglesum
• Social Center 2 – Guardianship / Child Support for Minors – Gröpelingen, Walle, Häfen, Blockland, Mitte, Eastern Suburbs and Findorff
• Social Center 4 – Guardianship / Child Support for Minors – Neustadt, Obervieland, Woltmershausen, Huchting, Strom and Seehausen
• Social Center 5 – Guardianship / Child Support for Minors – Schwachhausen, Horn-Lehe, Vahr, Oberneuland, Borgfeld, Hemelingen and Osterholz

Cost:
free