Paternity Lawyer Brooklyn

Not every paternity matter in Brooklyn resolves through a signed acknowledgment form, and understanding the difference between a voluntary process and a contested Family Court proceeding matters from the outset. Kings County parents sometimes disagree about who a child’s legal parent is, and when that disagreement cannot be resolved through a voluntary acknowledgment of parentage, the matter proceeds as litigation in Kings County Family Court. New York law still uses the word “paternity” to describe this general area of practice, reflected in the Family Court Act’s Article 5 caption, “Paternity Proceedings,” even though the specific voluntary acknowledgment mechanism within that article was renamed to use “parentage” terminology. Establishing paternity matters for more than a name on a birth record: it determines who owes a child support obligation and who has standing to seek custody or visitation. Law Offices Of SRIS, P.C. represents Brooklyn parents in both voluntary and contested paternity matters, helping clients understand which path applies to their situation and what a contested proceeding in Kings County Family Court generally involves. Mr. Sris, Owner and Founder of Law Offices Of SRIS, P.C., is a former prosecutor admitted to practice in Virginia, Maryland, the District of Columbia, New Jersey, and New York. To discuss a Brooklyn paternity matter, call (888) 437-7747 to schedule a consultation.

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What Paternity Means in Brooklyn

Paternity is the legal relationship between a father and a child, and establishing it is the necessary first step before a court can enter custody, visitation, or child support orders involving that parent. New York law offers two paths to establish paternity. The first is the voluntary acknowledgment of parentage described in Family Court Act §516-a, which resolves the question without a court appearance when both parents sign and file the required form. The second is a contested proceeding in Family Court, used when the parents disagree about parentage or when one parent cannot be located to sign an acknowledgment.

The terminology in this area has shifted over time without eliminating the word “paternity” from New York family law. Family Court Act §516-a is now officially titled “Acknowledgment of parentage,” reflecting a legislative update, yet the article of the Family Court Act containing that section, Article 5, remains captioned “Paternity Proceedings.” Both terms describe the same general subject, and attorneys, courts, and litigants in Brooklyn continue to use “paternity” as the umbrella term for this area of practice, including for contested cases that never involve a signed acknowledgment at all.

Establishing paternity, whether through a voluntary acknowledgment or a contested Family Court proceeding, is what triggers a parent’s child support obligation under Family Court Act §413(1), which applies New York’s child support formula in Family Court once parentage has been established. Support under this framework can run for an unemancipated child under the age of twenty-one. In a contested case, the court may order genetic testing and hold hearings to resolve disputed questions of parentage before it can proceed to custody, visitation, or support. Brooklyn parents facing a contested paternity matter should expect a more involved process than the voluntary acknowledgment path, with timelines and requirements set by Kings County Family Court.

How Mr. Sris and the Firm’s Of Counsel Attorneys Handle Paternity Cases

Mr. Sris and the firm’s Of Counsel attorneys represent Brooklyn parents in both voluntary and contested paternity matters. When a case can be resolved through a voluntary acknowledgment of parentage under Family Court Act §516-a, the firm helps the client understand the document before signing, since the acknowledgment establishes both legal parentage and a support obligation. When the parents disagree about parentage, the firm represents clients through the contested Family Court process, including matters where genetic testing becomes relevant to resolving the dispute.

Because establishing paternity is a prerequisite to a custody, visitation, or child support order under Family Court Act §413(1), the firm looks at a Brooklyn client’s contested paternity matter in the context of what comes next. A parent seeking to establish paternity in order to pursue custody or visitation has different priorities than a parent responding to a paternity petition filed by someone else, and the firm tailors its approach to the client’s role in the proceeding.

The firm also assists clients who face a contested paternity matter alongside a related family offense or custody dispute already pending in Kings County Family Court, coordinating strategy across the related proceedings rather than treating each as isolated. Mr. Sris and the firm’s Of Counsel attorneys aim to move a Brooklyn paternity matter toward resolution as efficiently as the facts and the court’s calendar allow, while making sure the client understands each stage of the process, from an initial petition through any hearing on genetic testing results and the eventual determination of parentage.

About the Firm

The firm was founded in 1997 and has represented clients in family law matters, including contested paternity proceedings, since that year. Mr. Sris, the firm’s Owner and Founder, is a former prosecutor who is admitted to practice in Virginia, Maryland, the District of Columbia, New Jersey, and New York. He studied at George Mason University, and his background in accounting and information systems has been applied to complex financial and technology-related cases, including child support matters that follow a paternity determination.

Beyond Mr. Sris, the firm’s roster includes Of Counsel attorneys who contract directly with the firm. Mr. Sris and the firm’s Of Counsel attorneys handle both voluntary acknowledgment matters and contested Family Court paternity litigation for Brooklyn clients.

The firm is based in Fairfax, Virginia, and does not maintain a location in Brooklyn or elsewhere in Kings County. Clients in the Brooklyn area are served by appointment. The firm does not offer free consultations; a person can request a consultation by calling the number listed on this page. This structure allows the firm to bring consistent attention to each paternity matter while working within the jurisdictions where Mr. Sris is admitted to practice.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between a parentage acknowledgment and a contested paternity case?
A voluntary acknowledgment of parentage, governed by Family Court Act §516-a, resolves legal parentage when both parents sign and file the required form, without a court appearance. A contested paternity case arises when the parents disagree about parentage, or when one parent is unavailable to sign, and it proceeds through Family Court litigation instead. Both paths lead to the same legal result, an established parent-child relationship that supports custody, visitation, and child support orders, but the contested path involves hearings and can include genetic testing, while the voluntary path does not require either.

Does New York still use the word “paternity”?
Yes. While Family Court Act §516-a itself now carries the official heading “Acknowledgment of parentage,” the article of the Family Court Act containing that section, Article 5, remains captioned “Paternity Proceedings.” The word “paternity” continues to describe this general area of family law, including contested cases that never involve a signed acknowledgment. A Brooklyn parent asking about a “paternity case” and a “parentage matter” is often asking about closely related, and sometimes identical, legal questions, and it is worth confirming which specific process applies to a given situation.

What happens if the parents disagree about paternity in Brooklyn?
When parents disagree, the matter proceeds through Kings County Family Court rather than through a voluntary acknowledgment. The court may order genetic testing and hold hearings to resolve the disputed question before entering any order addressing custody, visitation, or child support. Because establishing paternity is a prerequisite to those other orders under Family Court Act §413(1), a contested paternity case generally needs to reach resolution before the related custody or support questions can move forward. The specific steps and timeline in a contested case depend on the facts, so early guidance from counsel is useful.

Does establishing paternity create a child support obligation?
Yes. Family Court Act §413(1) applies New York’s child support formula once parentage has been established, whether through a voluntary acknowledgment under Family Court Act §516-a or through a contested Family Court proceeding. That support obligation can run for an unemancipated child under the age of twenty-one. The path used to establish paternity does not change this outcome; once parentage is legally established, the support framework applies in the same way regardless of whether the parents reached that point voluntarily or through litigation.

Can a paternity determination affect custody in Brooklyn?
Establishing paternity gives a parent standing to seek custody or visitation, since a court cannot enter those orders for someone who has not been legally established as the child’s parent. Once paternity is established, whether by voluntary acknowledgment or contested proceeding, custody and visitation questions are decided under New York’s best-interests standard rather than under the paternity statute itself. A Brooklyn parent pursuing paternity in order to seek custody or visitation should expect the paternity determination to be a first step rather than the final word on the parenting arrangement.

This page provides general information and does not create an attorney-client relationship. Case results depend on a variety of factors unique to each case. Results may vary.

Attorney Advertising. Law Offices Of SRIS, P.C., principal office: 4008 Williamsburg Court, Fairfax, VA 22032. By appointment. Call (888) 437-7747 to schedule.

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