Legal Corner: Can a minor legally acknowledge they are the parent of a child?

LAKE CHARLES, La. (KPLC) - Legal Corner answers viewers’ civil legal questions.

QUESTION: My wife and I believe our son is the father of his ex-girlfriend’s newborn. He says he has no doubt that he’s the father.

Can he, as a minor, acknowledge that he is the father?

ANSWER: Yes, but if the biological father is under age 18, the acknowledgment must be authorized by his legal tutor(s).

If the minor father’s parents are married, the signature of the minor father’s father alone will suffice. If the parents of the minor father are judicially separated, divorced, or were never married, the parent awarded custody may sign the authorization. If the parents have joint custody, both parents must sign. If one or both parents of the minor father are absent, the legal guardian may consent to the acknowledgment.

QUESTION: I have decided to open a business, and I need to incorporate it. How will I know if another company has the name that I am thinking about using?

ANSWER: Call the Louisiana Secretary of State’s (“SOS”) office and ask for a preliminary search for name availability. One can also check name availability on the SOS website, and on the home page, access the commercial database. Type the proposed business name (without the corporate ending, i.e., L.L.C. or Inc.) and click search. A list of business names or similar business names will appear.

If a domestic or foreign corporation/company has been revoked, the name will not be available until 3 years following the revocation date.

These are preliminary searches. There are many rules that govern name availability, and a more thorough search will take place once documents are submitted.