Exactly! Bottom line being that if fathers want automatic rights, they need to marry, and not just impregnate, the mothers of their children. Religious aspects aside, marriage is a legal CONTRACT that gives rights and responsibilities to both sides, on LOTS of issues, including paternity of children, and rights to access and decision-making. Dads who make babies without marriage are legally on the same level as the mailman or the hobo under the bridge: they are nothing, legally, to the child - not until they take the steps to get established as the legal father AND to establish rights in court. None of those things are impacted by what last name the child is given. They can only be addressed with either a marriage certificate, or a court order.

