The father of my 5 month old daughter is not listed on the birth certificate. I was wondering what kind of rights he has as far as visitation and custody. He was there for the birth, and he has been recognized as the father for the last 5 months. He called me police on me for coming on his property about 2 months ago because we were having an argument and all I needed to do was get my personal belongings from his house. I have decided that I no longer want to be with him, he has hit me in the past and I have proof that he has left buises and chipped my tooth. I'm not sure if any of that is realavent anymore or not because its been over a month since anything like that has happened. I was too scared to call the police at the time, and now I realize how dumb I was. I don't feel safe around him, but I don't question my daughters safety while she's in his care. I just don't trust the people that he will bring her around, they do drugs, they have kids and the kids are terribly misbehaved and not very well taken care of. I basically just want to know, do I have the right to say no he can't see her all the time whenever he wants as long as we don't have a custody agreement? And is there anything I can do to prevent these people from coming around my daughter?

He is rights IF DNA proves he's the father but he needs a Court Order to exercise his rights unless you agree. You can deny him visitation. If he goes to Court, of course, and he's not a danger to the child he WILL get visitation. Friends with "terribly misbehaved and not taken care of very well" children are NOT grounds to deny him visitation.

You were foolish not to call the Police when he hit you; you are foolish if you don't go to Court and ask for child support.

At the moment you control the child - unless and until he goes to Court and requests another arrangement.

And I seem to keep asking this - was he like this when your daughter was conceived? Were his friends like this?