Rights of Fathers of an Unborn Child

Expecting a child is an exciting time for both mother and putative father. However, while the mother-to-be has legal rights over a child even during pregnancy, the father-to-be’s rights are not as immediate.

For this reason, fathers may wonder what their legal rights are over their unborn children and how best to protect them. In this guide, discover your rights and responsibilities as a father so that you can support your child from the very beginning.

From a legal perspective, an unwed father has very limited rights over an unborn child. In such circumstances, the father is called a “putative” father. “Putative” here means “eputed” or “alleged” and is used to describe the potential or alleged father until legal paternity is established.

The main reason for the limitation of parental rights is that paternity can only be established after the child is born, and before the child’s birth, fatherhood can only be presumed.

However, the requirements vary from state to state, and you must engage an attorney to help determine the extent of your rights. For instance, in states like California, Texas, and Florida, fathers have varying degrees of the right to receive notification of pregnancy and the right to participate in an adoption process.

The first thing an unmarried father should do is establish paternity over the child. Father's rights begin the moment paternity is established.

After establishing paternity, other rights include:

In 2022, the Supreme Court overturned the Roe v. Wade case in favor of Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health. Since 1973, Roe v. Wade has protected women’s right to abortion in the U.S.

According to current law 2023, over twelve states, including Idaho, Oklahoma, and Texas, have a total ban on abortions. In eight states, including Utah, Indiana, and Arizona, the bans remain on hold due to court petitions challenging them. Meanwhile, in New Hampshire, Virginia, and New Mexico, abortion remains accessible but without any laws protecting a woman’s right to procure an abortion. For thirteen states, including Montana, Colorado, and Kansas, abortion remains legal and protected by state laws and the Constitution.

In states where abortion is protected, presumed fathers do not have the right to veto a woman’s right or decision to get an abortion. In fact, according to the case of Planned Parenthood vs Casey, a mother does not have to notify a putative father of her decision to have an abortion. On the flip side, it is essential to note that fathers do not have the right to opt out of the financial responsibilities of raising a child, even if a father did not want a child and would have preferred the mother to have an abortion. Opting out of financial responsibility is not an option for fathers, and courts enforce this to protect the child’s welfare.

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) has firm privacy rules preventing healthcare providers from sharing medical information with anyone else if the patient doesn’t want it. HIPAA legislation also regulates the pregnancy cases of unwed couples.

If you are the biological father of an unborn child, you must get the mother’s permission to view any medical records about the child. However, showing that you are willing to support your unborn child’s medical care can help you prove your parental rights once the child is born.

The mother has the right to deny anyone’s permission to support her in a delivery room. If you are unwed, you do not have the right to participate in your childbirth unless the mother gives you explicit permission. Nevertheless, supporting the pregnant woman can go a long way toward building your custody case.

When a child is born, unmarried fathers can take parental leave like mothers. According to the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), you can take unpaid and job-protected 12-week family leave for birth or adoption care if you meet specific requirements as an employer or employee.

An unmarried putative father of an unborn child has limited or no legal rights to prevent an adoption, depending on the circumstances. But as stated earlier, the first step should always be establishing paternity.

Further, 33 states, including Alabama, Florida and Maryland, have a putative father’s registry, where the putative father can register with the state and receive notification in case the mother decides to put the child up for adoption. Upon receiving the news, the putative father can establish paternity after the child is born and seek custody or assert their parental rights once found to be the child’s biological father.

When parents separate or divorce, they may need to establish a custody and visitation arrangement. Custody relates to the legal right to make decisions around the child’s upbringing, while visitation is about the right to spend time with the child. There are four forms of custody:

On the other hand, there are three types of visitation rights:

Parents can make a custody (parenting plan) agreement themselves or with lawyers’ assistance. If parents cannot negotiate, they can rely on a court that will resolve the custody matter and set a visitation order.

The judge will consider the child’s interests and who he or she wants to live with based on the child’s relationships with each of the parents. Age, parents’ living conditions, and work schedules may also affect the court’s decision about custody.

Whenever possible, courts prefer it when parents share custody and decision-making responsibilities. But occasionally, one parent can be given sole custody or have greater visitation time than the other. While making such choices, courts may also consider the child’s desire.

There are some efficient ways of safeguarding your father’s rights when your ex-partner is expecting your child.

If you are a putative father and seek to protect your rights before the child is born, consider the following options:

The best way to protect your rights as a father is to get a legal paternity test. Proof that you are the biological father does not automatically give you rights for custody or visitation. However, it can provide you with the legal grounds to make decisions regarding the care of your child, such as medical treatment immediately after the child is born or visitation.

Consider the following if you seek to protect your rights after the child is born:

Overall, as the unwed father of an unborn child, you should do what you can to maintain a healthy and positive relationship with the mother of your child. Remaining amicable builds or deepens trust and may ease establishing parental rights.