This guide is part of a growing series of resources focused on the intersections of child custody and domestic violence. Like our Navigating Child Welfare Toolkit, it was created for survivors of domestic violence, advocates, and families navigating complicated systems while trying to stay safe and make informed decisions. This tool focuses on one of the first and most important steps in custody cases: establishing parentage.
Understanding who the law considers a child’s “legal parent” can affect everything, from who has the right to spend time with the child, to who can make decisions about their education or health care, and who must provide financial support. But for survivors of domestic violence, this process can come with extra risks and difficult choices.
We created this resource to help you understand what parentage is, how it’s legally established, and how it affects your rights. This tool includes special notes for survivor parents to help you think through safety, timing, and alternatives.