Paternity and Fathers’ Rights

Advising Single Parents in Paternity, Custody and Support Actions

Fathers' Rights | Paternity | Family Law and Divorce Lawyers

Texas law works to protect the rights and interests of children whose parents were never married just as it protects the children of divorcing parents. In other words, the best interests of the children will guide the decisions of the judges who need to resolve child custody and visitation disputes between single parents.

At the law firm of Gibbs Nolte Robison Rose, we work with single mothers and fathers on the full range of legal issues faced by unmarried parents, from the initial determination of paternity to the adjustment or enforcement of custody and visitation arrangements. Contact us in McKinney for a free initial consultation about your case.

Questions about Texas Parentage Litigation? Call 972-725-1307

Many of our clients are unmarried men who need to understand their rights and responsibilities in Texas parentage proceedings. Some men who acknowledged fatherhood at the time of birth need to find out how to revisit the question of paternity. Most frequently, however, our clients need advice about how to protect their access to their children after paternity has been established and a child support obligation is in place.

With DNA testing available as a reliable means of proving a father’s identity in nearly all cases of contested parentage, determining paternity is usually the least complicated part of a Texas parentage case. Nevertheless, a man who does not understand the issues and procedures in a paternity case risks losing important rights that could be very difficult or impossible to recover later on. If you are not absolutely sure that you are the father of an unmarried woman’s child, it’s a good idea to get legal advice before responding to allegations of paternity.

Child Custody and Visitation Disputes between Unmarried Parents

Even in a case in which the father’s identity is not in dispute, the advice of an experienced North Texas paternity attorney can help you protect vital parental interests. In a parentage case under Texas law, the main objectives are to determine the father’s identity and establish a formal child support obligation. Questions of conservatorship and access to the child being supported will not come up unless the father brings them before the court.

As a result, much of our law firm’s work on behalf of unmarried parents involves the determination or modification of child custody and support obligations long after child support has been arranged. Our attorneys can help you understand your rights and responsibilities as a mother or father under a variety of circumstances:

• Conservatorship issues after the end of a relationship between unmarried parents
• Nonbiological fathers’ rights
• Disputes between biological fathers and the mother’s family that affect access to children
• Child support enforcement or modification issues
• Interstate or international parental relocation proposals
• Adoption and issues relating to termination of a biological father’s parental rights

The resolution of these problems can be expected to depend on how well each single parent can demonstrate that his or her proposed objective will affect the interests of the children. Our lawyers can help you develop your goals and present your case in terms that will show your commitment to a strong relationship with your child.

Contact a Skilled McKinney, Texas Paternity & Father's Rights Lawyer Today

To learn more about our firm's ability to help you understand your rights and responsibilities as a single parent in Texas parentage cases, contact Gibbs Nolte Robison Rose for a free consultation.