questions & answers

Question: my x-girlfriend and i have a set of twins but before they were born we got caught in a bad situation and got in trouble with the law. im now in prison and my sons were born, ive never seen them and she says i never will. she is also on her way to prison and i want a paternity test and i want to no my rights. the problem is she doesnt recieve any public assistance and she never will. what can i do??

Answer: For information about establishing paternity of a child, please refer to Title 25 of the Arizona Revised Statutes . Under Chapter 6 of the revised statutes, you will be able to find laws regarding maternity and paternity proceedings. For information regarding child custody you can begin by reviewing the materials on this website under Child Custody and Visitation. It is possible for the court to allow you visitation with your children while you are in prison. The courts will have to determine if it is in the children's best interest to have parenting time with you while you are incarcerated. There are numerous factors that the court will consider in making such a determination, including the reason of your incarceration and the age of your children. You may wish to contact a lawyer to discuss your options. A lawyer will be able to look into the particulars of your case and provide you detailed legal advice.