How do you gain your rights as a child?

The Convention on the Rights of the Child: The children's version | UNICEF

It is very common to see that parents are the ones that establish their duties and rights as parents in front of the court. However, what happens when an unacknowledged child wants to get his or her rights legally? In this case, the judge will order a court dna test to determine whether there is a biological connection between the child and the alleged father. These types of tests are often expensive and have a series of procedures that must be followed for the judge to admit the results in court. The good news is that you can access a legal paternity test through some laboratories’ websites. You should make sure that the lab has the necessary permits to perform this type of test. Even if the lab has all the equipment to test DNA samples, they need to be licensed by the country’s authorities in order for their test results to be used in a legal proceeding.

Advantages of obtaining your rights as a child

Although it should not happen, some men forget their commitment to their children. Once the children grow up, the law gives the children the possibility of acquiring their father’s surname lawfully. Once a judge is able to establish that a person is a biological relative of another person, he or she can assign duties and rights to that person. The advantage of obtaining these rights is that you could get access to inheritance in case your father is deceased. Some countries even oblige fathers to provide financial compensation for years of non-support. If the parent does not have the financial means, the law can take assets such as houses or cars and use them as a form of payment. Not all the advantages are monetary, as you may also be able to get the same nationality as your father.

No one should judge you

Many people refuse to obtain their rights as a child because they think others will judge or even attack them. If someone says you are an opportunist for wanting to get your son’s or daughter’s rights after so many years, you can respond with a simple: “I deserve it”. Only you know how much you had to suffer and struggle because of a man that did not bother to take responsibility. You are not taking anything from anyone. You are gaining what is rightfully yours. It does not matter if you cannot get along with your father’s other siblings or relatives.