Mediate Michigan

It seems today that there is no longer a stigma of having a child out of wedlock–not only a trend among celebrities, but also increasingly common amongst everyday couples. Not only a trend seen in the young and poor, it is a trend that has been illustrated across ages, income levels, and racial groups. While in past eras, such an event was shunned and the child considered “illegitimate” or a “bastard,” that is no longer the case today.

Single women who found themselves pregnant in the past would demand shotgun weddings, but the rate of shotgun marriages has fallen over the years. This not only reflects the fact that having a child out of wedlock is more acceptable in society, but also reflects the escalating number of individuals choosing to put off marriage or live together without getting married. While some wedlock cases involve a single mother or father, there exist an increasing number of cases in which both parents are present and committed, but have chosen to not get married. The idea of marriage is no longer as popular, as many people fear the consequences of marriage if it does not work out and want to avoid the cost and stress of a marital dissolution proceeding.

Having a child out of wedlock, however, does not mean that you will not end up in a difficult situation needing the assistance of lawyers or the courts. There are all sorts of legal ramifications to becoming a parent, the two most important being financial obligations and custody issues:

via Fred Silberberg: Legal Ramifications of Having Children Out of Wedlock.