Paternity & Parentage
By Attorney Charles E. Liken Jr., Colorado court-appointed Child & 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 · Government Investigator, Denver Human Services · Licensed Colorado Attorney ~ 20+ Years in Private Practice · 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 has no enforceable right to see his child 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.
Your choice: no-charge 20-minute phone call OR in-depth hour ($300) — both 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. § 19-4-105). 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 and parenting time are legally established, an unmarried father has no enforceable 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, or an in-depth hour ($300) — both directly with Attorney Liken.