HOUSTON PATERNITY LAWYERS

Custody and Support Issues for Unmarried Parents

When parents who never married split up, both parents have the same rights and obligations regarding their children as if they had married and divorced. They face the same issues — and some unique ones — in asserting custody rights or obtaining child support.

Texas law sides squarely with the child in these matters. The courts will enforce support obligations even if the non-custodial parent is not in the child’s life. The courts are also friendly to the rights of fathers and mothers who want to be involved in raising their child, so long as it is in the child’s best interests.

The Houston family law attorneys of Bill De La Garza & Associates, P.C. represent mothers or fathers in paternity actions and proceedings to enforce child support or establish custody rights. Serving Harris County and surrounding counties in Texas, we invite you to arrange a consultation.

Texas Parental Rights Lawyers for Paternity Cases

Either the mother or the father of a child can initiate a paternity action — before the baby is born, at the time of the breakup or even years later. This typically sets in motion the need for a DNA test (by court order if necessary) to prove the paternity of the child. Once parentage is established:

  • The primary parent can file for child support, including retroactive support up to four years back or more. If necessary, we can help our client enforce this obligation through wage garnishment or by having the reluctant obligor brought up on contempt of courtcharges.
  • Either parent can petition for custody or access, up to and including full shared custody. For a child under the age 3, Texas law encourages uniquely tailored possession provisions that best serve the interests of the children. The courts will often order periods of possession initially with the non-primary parent that are short but frequent. As the child grows older, the periods of possession increase in length and decrease in frequency until a standard possession order is put in place when the child reaches the age of 3. If the child is over the age of 3, the courts most frequently order visitation according to a standard possession order.
  • If a parent has evidence that the other parent is unfit (child abuse, drug addiction, mental illness), that parent could petition to have primary custody or sole custody reversed to him or her.
  • If a parent truly believes that the other parent is a danger to the child, our experienced litigators can represent that parent in fighting against any visitation or access at all.

Paternity cases can be emotionally charged and awkward, especially if the breakup was bitter or the parents hardly knew each other when they conceived a child. We work with clients to protect the best interests of the son or daughter and to foster a cooperative parenting arrangement conducive to raising a healthy child in spite of these obstacles.

Questions About Fathers’ Rights or Establishing Paternity? Contact Experienced Houston Paternity Attorneys.

Call us at (281) 486-7007 or email us to discuss your rights and duties as an unmarried parent.