Which notarisations are possible?
The following notarisations are carried out at the Youth Welfare Office of the City of Hof:
Recognition of paternity
If you are not married to the father at the time of the birth of your child, paternity is only legally established when the father recognises his paternity in a deed or when paternity is established by order of the family court. It is important that you have the paternity of your child established. Only when paternity has been legally established are family relationships established. This means that your child has maintenance claims and, in the event of the father's death, inheritance and pension claims. Everyone also has the right to know their own parentage.
Options for establishing paternity:
Voluntary acknowledgement of paternity
The man recognises paternity in the form of a deed. As the child's mother, you must also give your consent. These notarisations are carried out by any youth welfare office, registry office, local court or notary. Abroad, the German diplomatic missions are responsible. Both parents must appear in person for the notarisation, either jointly or individually, and present an identity document with a photograph. If the mother is not entitled to parental custody in this respect, recognition also requires the consent of the child or their guardian.Establishing paternity in court
If the father does not voluntarily recognise paternity, the family court will make a decision on application. You can either submit the application yourself, with the help of the youth welfare office as part of a guardianship programme (see point 5) or with the help of a lawyer. The support of the Youth Welfare Office is free of charge.Declarations of custody - joint custody
If the parents of the child are not married to each other at the time of birth and no prenatal declaration of custody has been made, the mother is generally entitled to parental custody. However, the parents can declare that they wish to exercise parental custody jointly. To do this, both parents must have the relevant declarations of custody notarised by the youth welfare office or a notary. If no agreement can be reached on parental custody, there is the possibility of a court ruling in the best interests of the child. A family court decision is then required for changes or the cancellation of joint parental custody. Before custody proceedings are initiated, we offer both parents our support in the form of counselling.
Maintenance obligations
From birth, the child has a monthly maintenance claim against the parent with whom it does not live in the same household. Under certain circumstances, additional or special needs may be requested (e.g. kindergarten fees). The amount of maintenance depends on the personal and financial circumstances of the person liable for maintenance. The local youth welfare office can advise and support you in this regard. In order to secure the child's maintenance claim against the debtor, it is advisable to set out the maintenance obligation in writing in a deed. The maintenance certificate can be drawn up free of charge by the debtor at the youth welfare office, as long as the child entitled to maintenance is under 21 years of age. The deed can also be notarised at the local court, notary and abroad at German diplomatic missions.
