While most people are unfamiliar with Florida’s putative father registry, any unmarried biological father would be well served to learn as much as they can about it. The best way to think about the putative father registry is that it is a database of unmarried biological fathers. The purpose for filing a “claim” with the registry is to preserve your right to notice and consent should the mother of that child ever put the child up for adoption. When filing a “Claim of Paternity” you will be asked general information about yourself as well as the mother and the child. Providing as much information as possible will increase your chances of being “found” in the event that the mother attempts to place the child for adoption.
While filing a claim with the registry is an important first step in ensuring some very basic rights as the biological father, additional steps need to be taken to establish a legal right to visitation with your child.
Contact Benjamin & Melmer, LLC for more information about what we can do for you. We can help ensure your rights are protected.