When it comes to supporting a child, a parent will sometimes have to establish paternity so the child is enabled to receive the appropriate financial support. This can also help establish custodial and visitation rights that are in the best interest of the child.
At Neal Ashmore, we help fathers and mothers to resolve questions of paternity that arise in the midst of child support and custodial disputes.
Under Texas law, unmarried and married parents have identical rights and obligations to their children. However, a child born to unmarried parents in Texas does not have a legal father.
Therefore, if a child’s parents are not married, the benefits of establishing paternity include:
- For women, the ability to collect child support from the legal father of your child and benefits from the state
- For men, visitation and legal interest, and possibly even custody of your child if you are found to be his or her father
To receive anything in addition to the financial support outlined under Texas statutory guidelines or to protect against such an award, it is crucial to seek the assistance of experienced child support lawyers.
Men who could be parents and have been named as such should retain counsel to avoid being named the legal father, which carries the same legal responsibilities (child support payments) as the biological father. In contrast, men can also file a paternity claim with the Texas paternity registry to protect their parental rights.
