Help Freaked Out!

[hoooozzz]

Hello
I was with living with my girlfriend for about a year. She already has two girls a 11 and 4 year old. We got pregnant in January. We broke up about 3 weeks ago and I moved out (I still pay rent). She lives in Ky and I live in Ohio. We met in college and im a closer to graduation. We both get financial aid for school and she gets aid for food and insurance.
I work as a landscaper, and she works as a Co-op. I am really attached to the idea and the reality of being a father.
I want to do everything I can to give my kid all I can. She is generally fair and generous. I see this way more when she is dealing with friends and family. When it comes to me well we broke up because of this. Somewhere along the way the golden rule got changed to treat me how u would like to be treated and I'll treat you how ever I feel.
What should i do? Do I need a lawyer now? I am willing to work with her without courts but im not banking that she will be fair. What are my rights? Do I have rights to full or partial custody?
Any help would be great and appreciated.
Freaked Out
Scott Houghes

[elklaw]

Usually, courts will presume joint custody between parents with one parent having primary physical custody and the other visitation. If you want to be the parent with primary custody, you can request that from the court. However, it is hard to say how the ruling might be because children may need to be closer to their mother in the first few years. If you plan to seek primar custody, you need to be able to show that you can support the child, have a proper place for the child to live and have adequate support in your life to deal with the demands of raising a child. Adequate support means positive, supporting family members, finding and ensuring that excellent childcare is going to be provided to the child when you are at work, etc.... What you would need to do is to file to establish paternity, then request that custody and support matters be determined after the child's birth. You should of course be on the birth certificate as the father.---------It is always preferred if the two parents can come to a private arrangement, but if you feel it is best to formalize it thru courts, you know the situation best. I recommend speaking to a family law attorney in your local area in a free initial consultation and when you find one you are comfortable with, you can hire them to assist you with establishing paternity and subsequent custody and support matters.