Single parent

My boyfriend of 2 years has left me after finding out i am pregnant, i am going to keep the child, i would like to know his responsibilities for the child and what rights does he have, who should i contact, any help would be much appreciated.

You really need a lawyer for this. If you are not working, you should be able to get free legal help, but the lawyer will demand a refundable deposit.

The father will have to pay about Fr 600 per month to you for the baby. This is increased, when the child is aged 11 and again at age 15.

It is in everyone's interest if you can maintain a decent relationship with the father. Usually the father can take the child for every second weekend to his home. He is also entitled to take the child on holiday for 2 weeks in the summer. All these figures vary between cantons, but can give you an idea.

Congrats on your pregnancy, and sorry you are in a tough spot. Unfortunately, even in CH people can get away with skirting the responsibilities that come with having a child. Since you have decided to keep the baby, you have to stay strong for both of you now and in the future - for your child for the next 18 years or longer, and hopefully you are in a good place mentally to provide a stable life for both of you - that means no rocking the boat with he comes/he goes/you can't decide/he can't decide, or a revolving door for other people to come and go, etc...

First - get yourself to a doctor or midwife who will be there for you throughout your pregnancy. They will most definitely know who you can ask for help in your situation. Then, depending on your situation - home, job or no job, sources of income, if any, you could approach the social services in your area to provide you with assistance. There may be some family organizations in your area?

Here is an example from Basel: http://www.baselchildrenstrust.ch , but there might be some who can support you especially after the baby is born. There services may be low cost or free. Beside taking care of yourself to the best of your abilities, you must build a support network to help each other in times of crises or just because you get along (and integrate) so well. Planning ahead is a must for single parents , while taking it one day at a time.

I don't know how it works if the father of the child doesn't recognize your child, I suppose you could force him (but if he's a foreigner and vanishes, it gets very difficult and draining to chase after him) but I assume you get full rights and he gets nada. Don't quote me, just look up the info and see where you both stand.

Swiss law supports the right of both parents to a relationship with the child. If the father wants to be in the childs life then he will likely get 50% custody.

What happens if the dad isn't on the birth certificate?

Then he has no responsibilities, nor rights.

Tom

@Tom

are you sure of this? Can you quote a source?

In another recent case, I was told that the KESB (Kinder und Erwachsene Schutzbehörde), in French APEA (autorités de protection de l'enfant et de l'adulte), has the responsibility to represent the child and undertake all possible steps to determine who the father is. Starting, of course, by requiring the mother to name him, but also, if need be, through DNA tests. However, I haven't been able to find a source for this, either.

The reasoning, I was told then, had changed away from the earlier belief that the woman's right to privacy was paramount, and now, instead, it is the child's rights which come first, to know who his/her father is.

And naturally, the authorities have an interest in the father being found, so that he can bear his fair share in the financial cost of raising his child.

@wiezen:

Your profile says you are in Valais, so here's a list of how the responsibility of the APEA is divided up, geographically, so you can contact the correct office, to make enquiries:

http://www.vs.ch/NavigData/DS_262/M3...Situation).pdf.pdf)

@wiezen

perhaps the article by Markus Gottstein, Attorney-at-Law, lic. iur., on page 4 ff could give you a general idea of the philosophy behind the new law about joint custody:

http://www.ssplaw.ch/site/assets/fil...9_14_e_web.pdf

see also

https://www.ch.ch/en/parental-author...rried-parents/

and

https://www.ch.ch/en/how-acknowlede-paternity/

Oh, here it is (in German) about the child's right to know who his/her father is, and the authorities exercising that right on behalf of the child, should the mother choose not to name the father.

http://www.swissmom.ch/familie/geld-...r-vaterschaft/

Here's Google translate, with a few small improvements:

START QUOTE

Special questions about the acknowledgment of paternity

- The father refuses to recognize the child:

If the father will not recognize the child, then mother and child are invited to submit, with the support of the guardianship authority, a paternity suit, which is often associated with an action for alimony. Through genetic testing (paternity test) it is then determined whether the alleged father really is the father.

- The mother does not want to mention the name of the father:

In this case, the guardianship authority shall appoint a counsel who opens a paternity suit on behalf of the child (since each child has the right to know its father).

Although the mother is obliged to name the name of the father, she cannot be compelled by legal means to do so.

But watch out, refusing to name the father has important financial and social consequences for you! Thus, e.g. no maintenance contract can be concluded. As a parent you are then completely on your own, because no children alimony can be set (to be paid to you by the father), nor can you claim support from the authorities (so-called advance on alimony “Bevorschussen”).

- The mother does not want the father to recognize the child:

It should be noted that the father can acknowledge his child even against the will of the mother, he does not need her consent. The child him/herself can submit - up to 1 year after reaching the age of majority – a paternity suit as far as he/she has a reasonable idea who his/her father could be. Paternity suits against unknown persons do not exist.

END OF QUOTE

On another note: for your medical needs during pregnancy

https://www.ch.ch/en/pregnancy-health-insurance-covers/

and those of Baby (whom you should insure before birth):

https://www.ch.ch/en/health-insurance-baby/

You pretty much covered it yourself.

Tom

thank you for your comments

I know at least one instance where the authorities did not pursue the dad, when he decided to vanish and leave the child only in the mom's care, after the birth and recognition of the child. The social services did not once say that the mom has to legally pursue him, they simply helped her out. A lot. Very impressive!

But in the case where the mom did want to pursue the dad, what are some effective ways? What if he decided to go back to his country (in the case of a dual citizen)? Does anyone know more?

I myself think it is for the better. It is very hard on women, affecting them for life - career-wise with earning implications with other implications (cascade effect), but as long as the moms are well and the children loved and cared for, it makes for a stable life and everyone is fine.

Please help me

Am 6 months pregnant with a guy from Switzerland ( he lives at Chiasso- Ticino), he said that he doesn't want the baby. The problem is am from Ghana but live in Italy with a permanent stay documents waiting for my citizen. I have decided to keep the baby and I don't know what to do or where to start. Sometimes he wants to be part of the child's life, and the next day he doesn't. I don't want him, I just want a child support for my baby. Please help me

Unfortunately I think you need to seek the advice of a Swiss lawyer. As you don’t live here I’m not sure you could take your case to a Swiss court to try and get maintenance, you may have to go through the Italian court system. If so, it may not be enforceable here if he refuses to pay.

You would first have to get him to recognise the child as his which he may or may not want to do. Also keep in mind that if you can take it through the Swiss court, joint custody of children is the norm here so any major decisions you make for the child’s future would need his approval.

I'd try the (cheaper) Italian lawyer first I expect that Italian law is relevant.

Basically, a title would / could possibly be obtained in Italy, the place of residence of the expecting mother, and then enforced through Italian authorities via Swiss authorities in Switzerland.

Read this: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hague_...ly_Maintenance

Bare in mind he could contest paternity, which would require a court ordered DNA test, which in turn would require Swiss legal representation.

Also the Italian legal system is infamously slow; I had a friend in Trento who chased up the father of her child, who lived in the same city, and it took two years before she was finally awarded 200 Euro per month.

Finally, I don't know if a name on the birth cert makes any difference - in some legal jurisdictions it does, in others it doesn't. Either way, the father would have to legally be identified as such to be liable for child support and in doing so would then be able to take legal action himself to establish his own rights - rights and responsibilities go hand in hand.

Excellent reference: "The Authority in the country of residence of the requester is the authority through which requests for enforcement of judicial or administrative decistions can be made, while the authority in the country to which the request is lodged should provide further -free- help with the application."

My name is chinonso I'm from Nigeria. I can to Switzerland as a student but because of change of course I did the immigration refuse to renew my permit. My girlfriend is 5months pregnant but she doesn't want to marry and she doesn't want us to live together and immigration already told me to leave. I want to appeal for the refusal till the child is born but my fear is will they still allow me to stay after the birth.

It's not 100% clear from your posts but is it correct that:

Your girlfriend is pregnant. You are a student but your permit has ended and the immigration won't renew it?

You want to stay in Switzerland to be a father to your baby?

Are you still together with your girlfriend, even though she doesn't want to marry or live with you?

And how long ago your permit was revoked/not extended?

We are not together anymore but I do go to her house and help her do some certain thing at home. she want me to take the responsibility of the child and she has already told gemeinde about the pregnancy and told them that I'm the one responsible