How do i know if i have sole custody of my child?

You likely have custody by possession. You may want to talk with a lawyer to get the custody in a court order.We are happy to offer you a free initial consultation to talk about the case. Give us a call at 402-455-1711 to set up a time to talk. We have been in business for almost 25 years and fight hard for the people we represent.

Without a court order you really don't have anything other than possession of the child. To be safe, and keep her father from showing up one day and claiming her) you should consider filing for custody legally. Filing will also give you the opportunity to ask for child support.

The prior answers both give good information. It may be easier to talk about what Dad doesn't have, than what you do have. For certain purposes, simply being named on a birth certificate can garner a parent some rights. Most schools, for example, rely on the birth certificate entirely, and will release a child to anyone named on that document. However, without establishing paternity and custody through the Court, Dad does NOT have any custody rights. That's about the only thing that you can count on, and you shouldn't count on it for much. You need to seek local counsel and get this taken care of by the Court.