May the father and I write up our own agreement regarding child support and visitation? Yes, you may write up your own agreement but neither a court nor the child are bound by it. Therefore, if one of you breaches the agreement, the other parent cannot enforce it. It is still a good idea to try to come up with an agreement between you and the father and then see if the court approves it. The child, however, has independent rights to establish a parent-child relationship with the father and to ensure the father's support. Therefore, an agreement between you and the father does not remove the child's rights. A child's parents have equal responsibility to support their child in the best way possible. Equal responsibility exists regardless of which parent the child is living with.

If the father wants to be involved with the child, what should he do? Even before the baby is born, the father should begin the legal process in the form of a paternity action. Without a court order, custody and visitation rights may be difficult for him to establish. From the moment of conception, he should hold himself out as the father and receive the child into his home once he or she is born. In addition, he should help support the child financially.

How does paternity testing work? The father and baby must be tested either voluntarily or through a court order. A paternity test is a DNA test that determines whether a man could be the biological father of a child. A paternity test compares a child’s DNA pattern with that of the alleged father to check for evidence of this inheritance – the most definitive proof of a biological relationship. The result of a paternity test is either an exclusion (the alleged father is not the biological father), or an inclusion (the alleged father is considered the biological father). Genetic testing is the only way to conclusively prove that he is the father.

What rights does the baby's father have in relation to abortion? The father has no rights in regards to abortion, even if you are married. This means that he cannot legally force you to have an abortion if you do not want one.

What rights does the father have in relation to adoption? Generally, the father has rights in regard to the adoption of his child which include receiving notice of the adoption and being given an opportunity to contest the adoption.