Paternity

According to The International Business Times, supermodel Linda Evangelista recently announced that billionaire Francois-Henri Pinault, husband of actress Salma Hayek, is the father of her 4-year-old son. Now, she is suing him for about $46,000 per month in child support, which is estimated to be the largest support order in the history of the Manhattan family court. Pinault is estimated to be worth over $11 billion.

Pinault has a 3-year-old daughter with Hayek as well as two other children from a previous marriage. Allegedly, Evangelista’s son was conceived in 2006 during Pineault and Hayek’s brief separation period.

According to documents filed with the court, Evangelista is requesting the large sum because she needs help paying for nannies and drivers who would double as security guards. The supermodel alleges she works 16-hour days and often requires the help of a nanny. Additionally, her attorney argues that Pinault already spends a significant sum on his daughter with Hayek—it is estimated he spends at least $50,000 per month on a trust in addition to other gifts and vacations. Pinault has not offered any support to Evangelista. It has also not been confirmed whether a paternity test has been taken and whether Pinault is the real father of Evangelista’s son.

Illinois paternity cases can be very complicated, and can involve sensitive issues. However, it is necessary to identify a child’s biological father in order to determine child custody, child support, visitation rights, and other custody and visitation-related issues. Disputes regarding paternity can quickly become very emotionally charged, which is why many find it beneficial to consult with an attorney that has experience successfully resolving paternity cases.

The paternity lawyers in Chicago at Nottage and Ward can help explain your legal rights to you if you are involved in a paternity dispute. Our attorneys will work tirelessly to guarantee that the proper party is given paternal rights. To find out whether our skills are a match for your needs, call our law offices at 312-332-2915 today.

Arnold Schwarzenegger and Maria Shriver recently announced they were separating after 25 years of marriage, according to The Huffington Post. Their announcement was soon followed by a public admission by Schwarzenegger that he had fathered a child with a former staff member over 10 years ago.

Several questions have been raised, including whether the couple will divorce and whether a pre-nuptial agreement was signed. One of the biggest questions that has arisen is the question of the child’s paternity. The estranged husband of the woman who has been identified as the mother of Schwarzenegger’s alleged son has said he only learned recently that he was not the biological father of the boy. Many news outlets have reported that a DNA test was performed secretly a decade ago to conclude whether Schwarzenegger was the child’s father. Official details have not yet been released.

Paternity cases in Illinois can be complicated and raise many sensitive and delicate issues. Determining a child’s biological father is beneficial when determining child custody, visitation rights, child custody payments, and other custody-related issues. The Illinois courts take several factors into consideration when identifying a child’s biological father, including whether a paternity acknowledgment has been signed and whether the child’s mother and the possible father are or were married at the time of the child’s birth. Disputes regarding paternity can become stressful and emotionally charged for all parties involved, which is why seeking a consultation with a highly skilled attorney with experience handling paternity cases is advised.

At Nottage and Ward, our Chicago paternity lawyers can help you understand the legal options available to you if you are involved in a paternity dispute in Illinois. We will work diligently to ensure that the proper party is granted paternal rights. To learn more about how our attorneys can help you with your paternity dispute, please call 312-332-2915 today.

On Thursday, January 27, a federal judge ordered Indiana officials to stop refusing parents who are not married an easy way to identify a child’s legal father if one or both parents don’t have a Social Security number, IndyStar.com reports.

The ruling stems from a lawsuit against the Indiana State Department of Health by families whose immigration status restricts them from obtaining a Social Security number. Specifically, the lawsuit challenges the constitutionality of how paternity affidavits are issued, which are forms that unmarried parents can fill out to establish a child’s legal father. According to an attorney representing the families, the policy harms both legal and illegal residents, since many people who are in the U.S. legally can’t obtain Social Security numbers with certain kinds of visas.

Previously, the Department of Health recognized paternity affidavits without Social Security numbers, even in the instances where one or both parents weren’t on the forms. However, as of July 1, 2010 both parents’ Social Security numbers are required to authenticate the forms. According to the lawsuit, the law’s modification robs the children who are born to foreign nationals in the U.S., and thus U.S. citizens, of the ability to receive child support and other benefits related to having a legal father.

Under Illinois Statute 750 ILCS 45/5, the Illinois Parentage Act of 1984, a man is presumed to be the natural father of a child if one of the following criterion are met:

• If the man and the child’s birth mother are currently or were married, and the child was conceived or born during that time;
• If the man and the birth mother were married after the child’s birth and the man’s name is listed on the birth certificate, consensually;
• If the man and the birth mother signed an acknowledgement of paternity;
• If the man and the birth mother signed a parentage acknowledgement—and if the man is not the child’s biological father, a parentage acknowledgement was signed showing a denial of paternity.

It is not enough to assume paternity; a court order or a signed Voluntary Acknowledgement of Paternity is needed. The importance of determining paternity is confirmed in events where a man, presumed to be a child’s father, is required to pay child support, when he is not the child’s biological father in reality. Conversely, if it is assumed a man is not a child’s natural father, he may be denied visitation rights.

The Chicago paternity lawyers at Nottage and Ward have the experience and skills needed to efficiently handle matters of Illinois paternity. We will work diligently to assure that the proper party is granted parental rights. To learn more about how we can help, call 312-332-2915.