and information about establishing paternity is available
toll-free at (866) 255-2006.
What if the father wants to sign the Acknowledgment
of Paternity but cannot come to the hospital?
The AOP can be signed before or after the birth of the
child. However, the AOP must be processed through a
certified entity. If the father cannot be at the hospital,
both parents can go to a certified entity (child sup-
port office or local birth registrar’s office) to process
a pre-birth AOP. Then, the mother can take the AOP to
the hospital at the time of the birth of the child. The
AOP can also be processed after the birth of the child
by going to a certified entity. Parents who live out of
state can get assistance in completing the AOP over
the phone by calling (866) 255-2006.
What if the mother is married to someone else at the
time of the child’s birth or the baby is born within
300 days of the date of her divorce?
If the mother is married to someone other than the bio-
logical father at the time of the child’s birth or the baby
is born within 300 days of her divorce from a man who
is not the biological father, that man is the presumed
father. The biological father cannot become the legal
father by signing the AOP until a presumed father, if any,
signs the Denial of Paternity, which is part of the AOP
form. If the Denial is not signed, either biological parent
can open a case with the Attorney General or establish
paternity through the courts.
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