A paternity action may be filed by any woman who is
pregnant or has a child, any man who has reason to believe that he is the
father of a child, or any child who wishes to determine the paternity of the
child when paternity has not been established by law.
The action must be filed in the Circuit Court of the county
in which either the plaintiff or the defendant resides.
Paternity actions may be used to establish child support,
parental rights and responsibilities, the primary residence of the child,
and timesharing in accordance with Chapter 61 of the Florida Statutes
(which addresses dissolutions of marriage).
Paternity actions in Florida are governed primarily by
Chapter 742 of the Florida Statutes. Simple forms for paternity actions,
approved by the Florida Supreme Court may be found at
www.floridacourts.org.