How does child custody work if the parents are unmarried?

Answer by  liblue (683)

Custody can be established with paternity testing and petitioning the court for an unmarried dad. This can be formal or informal and shouldn't change unless another person wants to adopt.

Answer by  tamarawilhite (17883)

The mother has full rights to the child. The father can gain rights if named on the birth certificate and begins paying child support. Child custody can then become joint custody or shared custody, thought it is usually every other weekend. Unmarried fathers can seek full custody, though this is rare unless the mother is in jail or addicted.