In Florida, it’s very important for the father to file a paternity petition as soon as the child is born because in Florida, the mother is considered the custodial parent of the child who has all legal rights concerning the child until the biological father files a paternity action in court to establish his parental responsibility, to establish custody, and to establish child support. If you are the mother of the child, it’s important for you to do so, so that you can obtain child support from the biological father.