Nashville Paternity Lawyer

Nashville Paternity Attorney

Establishing paternity can be a central issue in disputed custody matters. Whether you are looking to clarify parentage for support or looking to secure your parental rights, a Nashville paternity lawyer can help you with every aspect of your case.

About Anne Hamer Law

Anne Hamer has spent over two decades representing people in Nashville and throughout Tennessee in their family law matters. She has a proven track record handling paternity cases ranging in complexity and conflict. Anne is a leader in the legal community, lecturing at national conferences and earning recognition by Super Lawyers for her accomplishments in her practice.*

*Awards and recognition do not guarantee future results. Selection criteria vary between organizations.

What Is a Paternity Case?

Nashville paternity cases are the formal process used to identify a child’s biological father. In fiscal year 2024-2025, Davidson County Circuit Courts received 19 paternity filings and 41 dispositions. The most common resolution was a settlement without a court hearing at 20, followed by 13 withdrawals, five jury trials, two default decisions, and one dismissal.

In Tennessee, the only parties who can file for paternity are the child’s mother, the adult child, the minor child through a guardian, a man claiming to be the father, or the Department of Human Services. After filing, the other parent is notified and can respond. Uncontested proceedings resolve with both parents signing a voluntary acknowledgment of paternity.

Contested paternity typically involves genetic testing and court hearings to review evidence. Nashville cases are processed through the Davidson County court system, with most seen at the Juvenile Justice Center or Metropolitan Courthouse.

Common Reasons People in Nashville Establish Paternity

Paternity cases can be a worthwhile process for many personal, financial, medical, and legal reasons. Some reasons someone may seek paternity include:

• Strengthening parental rights. People often seek paternity to strengthen their parental rights. Identifying a parent as the biological father adds protection to enforce parenting time and maintain their bond with their child.
• Establishing child support. Child support obligations in Tennessee are typically only for a child’s legal father. Paternity can aid a mother in obtaining payment from an uncooperative father or from a man contesting support requirements.
• Discovering family medical history. Familial medical history is important for identifying potential health risks to a child. Paternity can help establish a more complete health record to guide medical decisions and future treatments.
• Clarifying unclear lineage. Situations where parentage is unclear can cause strain on a family. Clarifying who the child’s biological father is can strengthen the emotional bond between parents and children.
• Providing familial benefits. Paternity can secure many benefits for a child. This can include inheritance, veteran support, health insurance, and other financial resources. 

Hire a Paternity Lawyer in Nashville

Paternity cases can be overwhelming. While you may handle paternity alone, the often-complicated nature of such proceedings makes it imperative that you hire a paternity lawyer for support. Services that an experienced Nashville paternity attorney can provide include the following:

• Help establish existing parentage. Our team can review the default presumptive parentage and organize evidence necessary for your case.
• Draft and file paperwork. A lawyer can draft and file the necessary paperwork for your paternity case.
• Negotiate with other parties. Anne Hamer Law can negotiate with a contesting parent to reach a favorable deal that avoids litigation.
• Represent you in court. An attorney can represent you at all hearings both inside and outside the courthouse.
• Assist with related cases. A paternity case is typically one aspect of a larger family law matter. We can use the results to assist with your child custody, support, or other parallel legal issue.

FAQs

Does Establishing Paternity Change Custody Rights?

One common point of confusion for parents considering establishing paternity is whether the process automatically alters custody rights. In Tennessee, a paternity case does not change parental rights on its own. Legal and physical custody are based on what is in the best interests of the child and not the legal father’s identity. However, paternity can be a strong piece of evidence during court review.

Do You Need to File for Paternity to Establish a Child’s Legal Father?

Nashville parents do not always need to file for paternity to establish a child’s legal father when managing custody or support. Under the presumption of parentage law, there are many circumstances under which a man may be presumed to be a child’s father, including if he is married to the child’s mother when the child is born, or if the child was born within 300 days after the marriage ended.

How Long Do You Have to File a Paternity Case in Tennessee?

How long you have to file for paternity is an important deadline for Nashville parents to understand. Tennessee’s paternity laws allow a qualifying party to establish parentage at any point before or after the birth up until the child’s twenty-first birthday. Requests made after this deadline are typically rejected unless a matter involves fraud or other reasonable complications.

How Much Does a Paternity Lawyer Cost in Tennessee?

How much a Tennessee paternity lawyer costs depends on factors such as your case’s complexity, whether it is contested, the stage of resolution, and total workload for the firm. A paternity case with cooperating parties requiring a simple formalization is typically less expensive than representation in a contested matter that proceeds to a trial. During your initial consultation, a lawyer can provide a rough estimate of your final legal bill.

Speak With a Nashville Paternity Attorney Today

At Anne Hamer Law, we recognize the sensitive nature of a paternity case. Anne Hamer can use her decades of experience navigating the Nashville family court system to effectively guide and support you during your case.

Contact us today to schedule your initial consultation, where we can learn about the difficulties you face in your custody matter and provide options for establishing paternity. You may also visit our Nashville offices, located on Music Circle in Music Row, across the street from Tony Rose Park and a block southeast of Buddy Killen Circle.