Paternity & Parentage
By Attorney Charles E. Liken Jr., Colorado court-appointed Child and Family Investigator. Establishing legal parentage for unmarried parents in Colorado — the rights, the duties, and the fastest path to a parenting order.
Charles E. Liken Jr., Esq. — On the Legal Front Lines · Former Government Investigator, Denver Human Services · Licensed Colorado Attorney · 20+ Years in Private Practice · Former Colorado Deputy District Attorney · Colorado Court-Appointed Child and Family Investigator
Legal parent first — everything else follows
For unmarried parents, nothing is automatic. Until parentage is legally established under Colorado’s Uniform Parentage Act (C.R.S. § 19-4-101), an unmarried father generally cannot enforce a right to see his child — unless parentage is established by presumption, a filed acknowledgment, or a court order — and a mother has no support order to enforce. Establishing parentage is the door that opens parenting time, decision-making, and child support all at once.
Ready when you are — talk it through with Attorney Liken.
Start here: a no-charge 20-minute phone call directly with Attorney Liken.
A parentage case is a custody case in disguise
Because establishing parentage triggers custody and support at the same time, the smartest move is to plan all three together from day one — not fix them one lawsuit at a time.
Frequently asked questions
How do you establish paternity in Colorado?
Three main ways: a voluntary acknowledgment of parentage signed by both parents, genetic testing, or a court action under Colorado's Uniform Parentage Act (C.R.S. § 19-4-107). The firm picks the fastest route your facts allow.
Does establishing paternity give a father custody?
Not by itself, but it opens the door. Once parentage is established, the court can allocate parenting time and decision-making under the best-interests standard (C.R.S. § 14-10-124), just like any custody case. Parentage is the prerequisite, not the finish line.
Can child support be ordered back to the child's birth?
In the right case, yes. A parentage order can open child support under Colorado's income-shares guideline (C.R.S. § 14-10-115) and, in appropriate circumstances, reach back toward the child's birth.
Can a mother keep the father from the child before there is a court order?
Until parentage is legally established (by presumption, a filed acknowledgment, or a court order), an unmarried father generally cannot enforce a right to see the child, which is exactly why establishing parentage quickly matters. The firm handles parentage, parenting time, and support together.
Take the first step. We'll take it from there.
No-charge 20-minute phone consultation directly with Attorney Liken.