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Apply for legal assistance to establish paternity

If the father of your child does not want to acknowledge paternity or is unknown, you can receive support from the guardianship office.

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Detailed description

If you have a child and are not married to the child's father, he is not automatically the legal father. The father must acknowledge paternity. If the father does not want to acknowledge his paternity or the father's identity is unclear, it may be necessary for a court to establish paternity. If you need support with this, you can apply for guardianship.

The guardianship does not restrict your custody rights. The guardianship represents the interests of your child. The guardianship can also answer your questions on topics such as maintenance, custody, inheritance law and naming and support you in the further process.

 

Information

Prerequisites

  • You are pregnant or already have a minor child.
  • You are not married to the child's father.
  • You take care of the child alone.

Documents required

No documents are required for the initial consultation. If you bring documents that you consider relevant, this may enable more targeted advice. If documents are required in the further process, the responsible office will inform you accordingly.

Please note

The guardianship can also help to determine a claim to maintenance.

Special conditions may apply to foreign nationals. Please enquire with the relevant authority

Deadlines

No

Procedure

  • You contact the responsible authority and set up the guardianship. You can do this in person or in writing. It is often advisable to appear in person.
  • Guardianship is established.

Processing time

The guardianship can be set up immediately. The further procedure can take up to several months. The length of the procedure depends in particular on the cooperation of the father

Fees

The advice and assistance are free of charge. In individual cases, costs may arise as a result of legal proceedings conducted within the framework of legal assistance.

Legal remedies

No

Legal basis

§ 52a Social Code - Book Eight (SGB VIII)

www.gesetze-im-internet.de/sgb_8/__52a.html

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Keywords: ancestry Biological father Judicial determination

Last updated: 11.03.2025