SOUTH CAROLINA Part 23

Paternity

Every child has a biological father. A biological father is the man by whom a child’s mother became pregnant. Not every child has a legal father. If a mother is not married to the father when the child is born, the child does not have a legal father.  Establishing that you are the legal father creates a legal relationship between the father and the child. This is a necessary first step if the father desires visitation or custody. A father who has not been declared a legal father has no legal rights concerning the child.