2025 Session Last amended: 1993 session

§ 257.54 — How Parent and Child Relationship Established

Plain-Language Summary

Identifies the three ways a parent-child relationship is legally established in Minnesota: for a mother, by proof of giving birth; for a father, through the Parentage Act or recognition of parentage; and for an adoptive parent, by proof of adoption.

Practical Notes
This section is the starting point for any parentage case. Fathers who are not married to the mother must establish paternity either through a formal recognition of parentage (section 257.75) or through a court adjudication under the Parentage Act.