The biological link to your parent or your child is an aspect of your personal identity. Therefore, the right to have it legally recognized is protected as a part of the human right to a private and family life.
Legal recognition of parenthood
The right to a private life requires that you should be able to establish details of your identity, which also includes the legal recognition of your parent-child relationship.
Legal recognition of the biological parent-child relationship creates mutual rights and obligations for both sides. These rights and obligations cover various aspects of their relationship, from the right to contact each other, to the obligation to contribute to the child’s maintenance.
Persons who may initiate paternity proceedings
As a mother or a father, you have an interest in establishing a biological link and developing a relationship with your child. You may also wish to ensure that the parenthood of the other biological parent is legally recognized.
If the blood ties to one of your parents have not been legally recognized in your childhood, you may initiate paternity (or maternity) proceedings after reaching the age of majority.
Paternity proceedings
Paternity proceedings are designed to determine and legally establish the biological relationship between a father and a child.
important In practice, these proceedings are mostly connected with the recognition of paternity. However, they may also be used to recognize maternity – the biological relationship between a mother and a child.
About this section
In this section, you can read about the recognition of paternity, paternity proceedings, as well as various human rights issues that are raised by the legal recognition of paternity.
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