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Legal Fatherhood
Legal Terms
Legal terms can be confusing. These definitions might help you better understand the paternity process.
Alleged father: The man named by the mother to be the child’s father OR a man who believes he is the father and who brings a paternity action. The local child support agency will help the mother and/or the man with the paternity action.
Biological father: The birth or natural father. The man who makes a woman pregnant.
Conceptive period: The period of time when a child was likely to have been conceived. For a normal pregnancy, it is a 60-day period -- about 240 to 300 days before the birth.
Guardian: A person other than the parent who is legally responsible for a child. Most children do not have a legal guardian. This only happens when a court gives legal custody and placement to someone other than the parents.
Marital Presumption: When a mother is married at the time her baby is conceived or born, the law presumes her husband is the legal father. Only a court can decide otherwise.
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