In a typical situation, the issue of paternity generally arises when the mother and father of a child or children are unmarried (whether cohabitating or not.)  When a child is born into a non-marriage union, the laws on custody and visitation are slightly different than those that apply to a marital setting.  

As a father in this situation, you would need to file a petition to establish parental relationship in order to obtain a judgment as to your parentage as well as custody and visitation orders.  Many fathers do not realize that an obligation to pay child support does not automatically entitle them to custody or visitation rights. 



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