A father with a child born outside of marriage has the responsibility of establishing paternity. This is especially important if the father wants to support and maintain contact with his child. Unless the father disputes that the child is his, all he has to do is to voluntarily sign a declaration with a probate court indicating that he is the biological parent of the child. It is only after establishing the paternity that a father can execute his rights and responsibilities regarding his child.
Child support involves financially supporting and maintaining the child's welfare. A father is responsible for the child from birth until the child is 18 years. In states such as Massachusetts, the father supports the child until she reaches age of 23 if she is in college. A mother may file a paternal suit to force the father to contribute to child support. The amount that a father may contribute toward supporting the child is generally determined by the court after considering factors such as his financial capacity and income.
Other than being a right, a father has the responsibility of keeping in contact with his child through visitation. This responsibility is largely voluntary and cannot be forced on a father. Through visitation, a father is able to contribute to the emotional and personal support of his child. Visitation may be supervised or unsupervised depending on what the probate court rules or on the agreement between the parents.
A father with a child outside of marriage has the responsibility of contributing to major decisions in his child's life. Even though the mother may have custody of the child, the father can help in making important decisions that involve marriage, education and health care. This is applicable until the child reaches the age of 18 or 21 years. A father who is extensively involved in his child's life will be better placed to make these decisions than one who is not.