Questions About Paternity Under Texas Law

Generally, unmarried parents have the same rights and obligations towards their children as married parents. Before unmarried parents can assert their legal rights, or take legal action to force the other parent to comply with the legal responsibilities of parenthood paternity must be established.

Paternity must be formally established because, under Texas law, a child born to unmarried parents has no legal father. Acknowledgment of paternity or a formal legal action to establish paternity is the first required step before:

• The child's mother can collect child support from the child's biological father;
• The child's biological father can establish visitation time with his child; or
• The child's biological father can seek custody in a child custody dispute.

Smart and Effective Legal Guidance in Paternity Cases

In many cases, mothers who want to establish paternity in order to collect child support can receive assistance from Office of the Texas Attorney General. When should you consider hiring an attorney to help with a paternity case? A mother should consider retaining counsel if she is requesting anything other than guideline child support, or support recommended by the Texas Family Code, including, above guideline child support, retroactive child support, recovery of maternity related medical expenses or anything other than a standard possessions order. Men who may be fathers should always consider retaining private counsel. The consequences of a legal finding of paternity can be far reaching and irreversible, even when the individual is not the biological father.

At the Houston, Texas, law firm of Myres, Dale & Associates, P.C., our attorneys have decades of experience representing the legal rights of unmarried mothers and fathers. Three of our attorneys are certified in family law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization.

We offer our clients a welcoming environment and the security that comes from knowing they have transferred a difficult problem into highly capable hands.

Texas Paternity Registry

Men in Texas who have reason to believe they have fathered a child may file a paternity claim with the paternity registry operated by the Texas Department of State Health Services, Vital Statistics Unit. Filing an Intent to Claim Paternity form helps protect a biological father's rights as a legal parent.

Schedule a Consultation With Myres, Dale & Associates, P.C.

If you have questions about establishing or denying paternity, or if you have received a child support collection notice for a child who is not your biological child, schedule a confidential consultation with a paternity lawyer at Myres, Dale & Associates, P.C. We can advise you regarding genetic testing to establish paternity and the long-term consequences of false paternity statements.

Call toll-free 866.506.1221 or use our online contact form.