If you have a child and are not married to the child's father, the father does not automatically become the child's legal father. In this case, he must voluntarily acknowledge paternity.

If the father does not voluntarily acknowledge paternity or it is unclear who the father is, paternity can also be established in court. You can seek advice on this from the Youth Welfare Office. The Youth Welfare Office will also assist you in establishing paternity.

With paternity established, you can clarify other matters:

• Maintenance claims of the child
• Maintenance claims of the mother
• Custody of the child
• Inheritance claims of the child
• Granting of the father's name

Legal guardianship

You can apply for a guardianship to establish paternity. A guardianship is a special form of legal representation for children and young people. The youth welfare office can then legally represent the child in the relevant proceedings, thus relieving you of the burden.

For example, it can

• request the father to acknowledge paternity and take the necessary documents,
• arrange for the judicial clarification of paternity,
• calculate your child's maintenance entitlement
• periodically review the child support claim
• record a deed of support,
• enforce the child support claim in court
• collect and control the alimony payments
• determine the whereabouts and employer of the parent obligated to pay child support, and
• Initiate enforcement actions.

You can apply for guardianship before the child is born if you are not married and have not made joint declarations of custody. After the birth, you can apply for guardianship at any time until the child reaches the age of majority. Your right of custody will not be restricted by this.

Terminating the guardianship

You can terminate the guardianship at any time by submitting a written declaration. It ends automatically when the child reaches the age of majority. The child can then seek advice and support from the Youth Welfare Office until his or her 21st birthday.