Texas parentage cases entail much more than just determining the paternity of a child through genetic testing. They also provide a forum for the father of a child born outside of marriage to obtain legal recognition as a parent of that child and protection of his rights as a parent. If you need advice on either side of a Texas paternity action, contact the family law attorneys at the Law Office of James P. Sadler.

 

Often, one parent’s need to obtain child support is the factor that triggers a parentage case. A parent’s right to visitation with and access to a child is not, however, contingent upon the payment of child support. Every parent has the right to seek a meaningful voice in the most important decisions affecting the child’s current welfare and future prospects.

 

We can advise fathers and mothers about their respective options and the immediate and long-term consequences of their decisions. We can also help unmarried parents achieve their goals across a range of circumstances:

 

• Child support and conservatorship issues that arise after the relationship between unmarried parents comes to an end

• Child support and conservatorship issues that arise when unmarried parents have never lived together

• Paternity issues when the mother was married to a different man at the time of birth

• Modification or enforcement of child support

• Modification or enforcement of custody arrangements between unmarried parents

• Termination of one’s parental rights as required by the child’s best interests

• Parentage, paternity and support enforcement cases that cross state lines or international borders

• Fathers’ rights disputes between a biological father and the mother’s family after the death or incapacity of the mother