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What is a “presumed parent”?

Posted in on December 29, 2025

A presumed parent is the child’s legal parent by marriage. Under Oregon law, a person is presumed to be the legal parent of a child conceived by or born during a marriage. When a married person gives birth to a... View Article

Some of the forms the child support program sent to me used words like “the parent who gave birth” and “the alleged genetic parent” instead of “mother” and “father.” Why does the program sometimes use different words to describe the same thing?

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Oregon law was recently changed toReferences to mothers and fathers were removed from laws about establishing parentage and replaced with more generic terms that can apply in every situation. The laws include the establishment of parentage through adoption and recognize... View Article

I was married when I gave birth to my child, but my spouse isn’t my child’s genetic parent. How can the genetic father be recognized as my child’s legal parent?

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In Oregon, children can only have two legally recognized parents. Before your child’s genetic (biological) father can be legally recognized, your spouse must be disestablished as a legal parent. The Oregon Child Support Program may be able to help you... View Article

I am recently divorced, and we didn’t include my spouse’s baby in the divorce decree because we knew it wasn’t mine. Why are you involving me in a case to establish support for the baby’s biological father?

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We can’t establish support for the baby’s genetic (biological) parent if you are still recognized as the child’s legal parent. If your divorce did not address your legal relationship to the child, then you are probably still the child’s legal... View Article

I was no longer married when I gave birth to my child. Why is the child support program saying my ex-spouse is still my child’s legal parent?

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If a child is born within 300 days of a marriage ending, your ex-spouse is presumed to be the parent because the child was likely conceived during the marriage. [2025 Oregon Laws, Chapter 592 – Section 6]

My girlfriend and I tried to sign a voluntary acknowledgment of parentage for our newborn, but the Oregon Center for Health Statistics told us they wouldn’t accept it because she was still married to someone else when she gave birth to our child. What can we do?

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If your girlfriend was married when the baby was born, her spouse is presumed to be the child’s other parent. If your girlfriend enrolls for parentage only services, the Oregon Child Support Program may be able to help. Visit our... View Article

The child support program sent me a letter saying they cannot address parentage for my child because my child is five years old and we lived with my ex-spouse for a while when my child was younger. Can I still get support from my child’s father?

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We can’t help you establish a support order with your child’s genetic (biological) father until they are established as a legal parent. You may be able to pursue this matter privately through court, but certain conditions must be met for... View Article

The child support program told me they need to contact my ex-husband before they can help me get support from my child’s biological father, but I have a No Contact order with my ex and don’t want him to be involved in my child support case. What can I do?

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If your ex-husband is still presumed to be your child’s other parent under the law, the child support program cannot help you get support from your child’s genetic (biological) father without involving your ex-husband. However, you shouldn’t need to have... View Article

The child support program told me they can’t get support from my child’s father unless they talk to my ex-spouse first. I don’t know where my ex-spouse is, what can I do?

Posted in on December 17, 2025

Please share as much information with your case manager as you can. The Oregon Child Support Program has tools to locate parents, but we need some basic information to begin. If your ex-spouse cannot be located, we may still be... View Article

Oregon Department of Justice

Child Support

Supporting Parents to Support Children

Archives

What is a “presumed parent”?

Some of the forms the child support program sent to me used words like “the parent who gave birth” and “the alleged genetic parent” instead of “mother” and “father.” Why does the program sometimes use different words to describe the same thing?

I was married when I gave birth to my child, but my spouse isn’t my child’s genetic parent. How can the genetic father be recognized as my child’s legal parent?

I am recently divorced, and we didn’t include my spouse’s baby in the divorce decree because we knew it wasn’t mine. Why are you involving me in a case to establish support for the baby’s biological father?

I was no longer married when I gave birth to my child. Why is the child support program saying my ex-spouse is still my child’s legal parent?

My girlfriend and I tried to sign a voluntary acknowledgment of parentage for our newborn, but the Oregon Center for Health Statistics told us they wouldn’t accept it because she was still married to someone else when she gave birth to our child. What can we do?

The child support program sent me a letter saying they cannot address parentage for my child because my child is five years old and we lived with my ex-spouse for a while when my child was younger. Can I still get support from my child’s father?

The child support program told me they need to contact my ex-husband before they can help me get support from my child’s biological father, but I have a No Contact order with my ex and don’t want him to be involved in my child support case. What can I do?

The child support program told me they can’t get support from my child’s father unless they talk to my ex-spouse first. I don’t know where my ex-spouse is, what can I do?