Recognition is the process in some jurisdictions whereby a man is recognised as the father of a child in situations of no presumption of paternity, generally because the mother is unwed.
The laws vary between jurisdictions but common themes are: There is no requirement that the recogniser actually be the biological father.
It prohibited paternity suits[2] and claims for child support in the case where both the mother and father were unwed.
The purpose was to protect the legally married heterosexual reproductive family, there was no room in this system for natural children, mothers outside of marriage, and involuntary paternity.
In the modern era DNA testing has made definitive proof of paternity possible but also the concept of parenthood has expanded (e.g. same sex parenting).
Similar concepts exist in Asian countries for the same reason: the protection of married heterosexual men from paternity suits from unmarried women.
The act of recognising a child does not automatically grant legal guardianship, which must be applied for separately via court order.
By article 312 and the following articles of the Civil Code, paternity may be assumed in this case by a man wishing to recognise the child, by a declaration made in a public instrument before:[9] Recognition can be done before birth ("déclaration sur le ventre"), during the declaration of birth or afterwards.
The legal framework for the recognition of paternity is defined in section 1594 of the German Civil Code.
The statement necessary to establish paternity may be submitted by a person if they are at least 16 years of age and there are no grounds for legal incapacitation.