How can a Phuket Lawyer help when you need to legitimize your child?

A vacation in Phuket can be full of fun, but it can also be life-changing, too. Something that can quite often happen, is that a man and woman fall in love during his holiday period, and decide to continue a long distance romance when the man returns to his home country. Often times, these romances can result in a surprise 10 months later, with the birth of a child.

What can you do if you want to legitimize your child in Phuket Thailand?

The best, and easiest way of course, is to marry your girlfriend legally, so that you will be automatically deemed the legitimate parent. However, if there is no intention for marriage, the easiest way to legitimize the child is to make a registration with the local Amphur with the mother’s consent. Please keep in mind even though the mother gives her consent, she has stihas 60 days to confirm the application. If no action is taken within 60 days of the registration, it will be presumed that the mother does not give consent to the biological father.

The last option is to legally go through a court judgment.

If your child is born in Phuket, look for help from a local Lawyer, especially if the mother refuses to send her consent to the legitimization.

Firstly, your lawyer will help you to file a petition for legitimizing the child with the local family court, and find the way to serve the notice of petition to the mother. After the mother has been served, the court will arrange for an evidence hearing. Consult your lawyer for details since the court can only grant legitimization of the parenting for one of the seven following reasons (section 1555):

1. Where there is a rape, abduction or illegal confinement of the mother during the period when conception could have taken place.
2. Where there has been elopement, or seduction, of the mother during the period where conception could have been taken place.
3. Where there is a document emanation from the father which acknowledges the child as his own.
4. Where it appears in the birth register that the child is the son or daughter of the man who was notified of the birth, or such notification was made with the knowledge of the man.
5. Where there has been open cohabitation of the father and the mother during the period where conception could have been taken place.
6. Where the father had sexual intercourse with the mother during the period when conception could have taken place, and there are grounds to believe that he or she is not the child of another man.
7. Where the father continuously provided for the child, such as the child’s education or maintenance, or the child has been allowed to use the father’s family name.

Once you legitimize your child

You will be bound by law to provide for the child’s necessities as well as make decisions for the best interest of the child including religion, education, residence and discipline.

If after having a holiday in Thailand, and you find yourself the father of a new son or daughter

Harwell International Legal Firm in Phuket can provide professional services for the legitimization of the child. Please reach out to us if you are need of help from a Phuket Lawyer.

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