Receive advice and assistance in establishing paternity from the youth welfare office

If you have a child and are not married to the child's father, the father does not automatically become the child's legal father. In this case, he must acknowledge paternity voluntarily.

If the father does not voluntarily acknowledge paternity or it is unclear who the father is, paternity can also be established in court. You can obtain advice on this from the Youth Welfare Office. The Youth Welfare Office will also support you in establishing paternity.

Once paternity has been established, you can clarify other matters:

• Maintenance claims of the child
• Maintenance claims of the mother
• Custody
• Inheritance claims of the child
• Granting the name of the father

Assistance

You can apply for guardianship to establish paternity. A guardianship is a special form of legal representation for children and young people. The youth welfare office can then legally represent the child in the relevant proceedings and thus relieve you.

It can, for example

• request the father to acknowledge paternity and record the necessary documents,
• arrange for the paternity to be clarified in court,
• calculate your child's maintenance entitlement,
• regularly review the maintenance claim,
• record a deed of maintenance,
• enforce the maintenance claim in court,
• collect and monitor maintenance payments,
• determine the whereabouts and employer of the parent liable for maintenance and
• Initiate enforcement measures.

You can apply for guardianship before the child is born if you are not married and have not made any joint declarations of custody. After the birth, you can apply for guardianship at any time until the child reaches the age of majority. This does not restrict your custody rights.

End guardianship

You can terminate the guardianship at any time by means of a written declaration. It ends automatically when the child comes of age. They can then seek advice and support from the youth welfare office themselves until their 21st birthday.

• § Section 52a of the German Social Code - Book Eight (SGB VIII)

• for a consultation: no documents required
• for a guardianship: informal written application

• The father of your child has not voluntarily acknowledged his paternity.

Responsibilities

Your contact person for the "Assistance" department is based on the child's surname.

Mrs. Hoppe

Letters A-F

Phone: 02832 122-610

Mrs. Petkens

Letters G-P

Phone: 02832 122-607

Mrs. Peiter

Letters Q-Z

Phone: 02832 122-640

If you have any questions about this service, please contact the person responsible by telephone or e-mail.

• Brochure from the Federal Ministry on guardianship and other assistance from the Youth Welfare Office
• Flyer - Questions about paternity and child support.pdf
• Flyer - Questions on personal maintenance for adults.pdf
• Düsseldorf table 2025
• Düsseldorf table 2026

• Questionnaire to check the maintenance obligation