I have been trying to get visitation rights for a child I had in PA with a girl. Everywhere I go for help I get doors slammed in my face because as the father I have no rights. I was told it would cost me between $10,000 and $100,000 to go through an attorney. Is this right? It has been 4 years since my daughter was born and 4 months since the mother and I split. What rights do I have?

You have the right to demand paternity testing, the right to pay support, the right to visit the child.

These are rights you have but cannot enforce until tests prove you are the father and you go to Court to get an Order to exercise the rights.

I find the fees you have bee quoted to be very high. Family Court is user friendly and free.

Go to Court and file a Petition, demanding visitation. The mother will "probably" counterfile and request support.

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Originally Posted by harleyhowler

I have been trying to get visitation rights for a child I had in PA with a girl. Everywhere I go for help I get doors slammed in my face because as the father I have no rights. I was told it would cost me between $10,000 and $100,000 to go thru an attorney. Is this right? It has been 4 years since my daughter was born and 4 months since the mother and I split. What rights do I have?

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First thing: are you listed on the birth certificate as the child's legal father? Did you sign a paternity acknowledgment or take a court-ordered DNA test(home DNA tests are not admissible in court)?

Until you are listed as the child's legal father, you have no rights. Once you are established as the father, you have all the rights that the courts grant you - custody, visitation, etc. - but each case is unique and depends on the two parties' circumstances and backgrounds.

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Originally Posted by harleyhowler

... I was told it would cost me between $10,000 and $100,000 to go thru an attorney. ...

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Did you ask an attorney in Pennsylvania, or is this just somebody guessing how much it might be. I find it difficult to believe that one attorney quoted you $10k (very high) and another quoted $100k (impossibly high).

A more common retainer for custody case, if it is contested is about 5000, but if there is a lot of court fights 10,000 is not considered totally out of the question.

If you tell us what you have done and what has happened when you have done them, we may be able to help further.

The legal father does have rights, but you have to go about enforcing them correctly. Sounds like you haven't been doing that.