Family law
Parentage
Also called paternity
Being a child's legal parent, with the rights and responsibilities that go with it. Establishing parentage means a court order or a signed declaration says who the legal parents are.[1]
In more detail
California's courts explain that only legal parents can get custody and visitation orders, and legal parents must support their child financially.[1] Parentage can come from birth, marriage, a voluntary declaration or a court judgment, and undoing it later is hard.[1]
Varies by state
Each state has its own parentage (paternity) laws and forms. Find your state’s rules.
Related terms
- Child supportMoney a court orders a parent to pay to help cover a child's living expenses, usually to the parent who has the child most of the time.
- Legal custodyThe right and responsibility to make important decisions about a child, such as health care, education and welfare.
- AnnulmentA court order saying a marriage was never legally valid because something was legally wrong from the start, such as bigamy.
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Sources
The official documents this definition is based on, with the date we last read each one. Definitions are in our own words.
General information, not legal advice. MediationList is not a law firm. Spotted an error? Tell us.
Cite this page
MediationList. (2026, October 28). Parentage: Definition. https://mediationlist.com/glossary/parentage/
APA 7th ed. A retrieval date is included only for pages whose content changes, such as maps, data and tools.