Establishing paternity is the foundation for a father's rights and a child's support. Stephanie Brice-Roberts helps parents across Oklahoma secure that legal relationship and protect what follows from it.
Paternity is the legal recognition of a child's father, and it carries real consequences for custody, visitation, support, and benefits. Whether you are a father who wants a relationship with your child or a mother seeking support, Stephanie helps Oklahomans statewide establish or contest paternity the right way.
There are two primary paths. Parents can sign a voluntary acknowledgment of paternity, frequently completed at the hospital when the child is born or later through the state, which legally names the father without a court hearing. When paternity is in dispute, either parent can bring a court action, and the court may order genetic (DNA) testing to confirm the biological father before it enters a paternity order. Stephanie helps you choose the path that fits your situation and handles the filings correctly the first time.
Paternity is more than a name on a birth certificate. For an unmarried father, it unlocks the legal right to pursue custody and visitation. For a child, it secures the right to support, inheritance, and benefits such as health insurance and Social Security. Until paternity is established, an unmarried father generally has no automatic legal standing, and a mother cannot pursue child support. Getting it right protects everyone's interests, especially the child's.
Paternity cases are not one-sided. Fathers often come to us wanting to establish a legal relationship with their child so they can be present in that child's life and share in decisions. Mothers often come to us to confirm paternity so they can pursue the child support their child is entitled to. Stephanie represents parents on both sides of these cases and keeps the focus where it belongs, on a stable, supported child.
Paternity can be addressed before or after the child's birth, and it rarely stands alone. Once paternity is established, it opens the door to related decisions about custody, parenting time, and support, and it can affect a father's broader parental rights. Because these issues are connected, it helps to work with one attorney who sees the whole picture and builds a plan that fits all of it.
When you hire Brice | Roberts, you work directly with Stephanie, not a rotating cast of associates. She is a seasoned trial attorney and a mother, and she brings both courtroom skill and genuine understanding to your case. Her background in communications and public relations makes her a clear, persuasive advocate in negotiation and in front of a judge. You will always know where your case stands and what comes next.
Establish a legal relationship with your child so you can pursue custody and parenting time in the metro's courts.
Confirm paternity so a mother can pursue the child support and benefits her child is entitled to.
Practical knowledge of how the metro's district courts handle paternity and genetic testing, so your strategy fits reality.
Paternity can be established in two main ways. Parents can sign a voluntary acknowledgment of paternity, often at the hospital when the child is born or later through the state. When paternity is disputed, either parent can file a court action, and the court may order genetic (DNA) testing to determine the biological father before entering an order.
Establishing paternity gives a father the legal standing to seek custody and visitation, and it secures the child's right to support, inheritance, and benefits such as health insurance and Social Security. Without it, an unmarried father has no automatic legal rights, and a mother cannot pursue child support.
Yes. Paternity can be challenged, including a prior voluntary acknowledgment, but Oklahoma applies time limits and specific procedures, and genetic testing is often involved. Because a challenge affects parental rights and support obligations, it is important to act promptly and with legal guidance.
Tell us a little about your situation and Stephanie will personally review it. By phone or virtual meeting, anywhere in Oklahoma.