Dallas Paternity & Support Lawyers

The Dallas paternity and support attorney team at The Texas Divorce Lawyer is well-versed in complicated family law matters. This includes cases in which paternity is disputed or when a mother seeks financial resources by establishing paternity and support in Dallas.

There are many nuances of Texas paternity laws and establishing paternity. Our legal team offers an initial consultation so that clients like you can get a better sense of how a case might progress and how best to protect your rights. We have a track record of helping a wide variety of clients, including parties on either side of paternity suits. Call today to speak with a Dallas paternity and support attorney – (214) 290-8001.

What is paternity, and why does it matter so much?

Texas law views biological fathers and legal fathers as two distinct – though often related – entities. Our state’s laws dictate that a child who is born out of wedlock has no legal father. In these cases, the parents must sign an Acknowledgment of Paternity in order to establish a legal father. This helps to ensure a child’s rights – such as having access to monthly child support payments – are protected.

A Texas court cannot order child support when there is no legal father established. This is why any woman seeking child support must prove paternity. Conversely, a man cannot demand visitation or child custody if he has not been able to demonstrate that he is the child’s father.

Our Dallas paternity and support attorney team is prepared to represent your rights and best interests in a paternity case. This is true whether you are a mother seeking to establish paternity and support in Dallas or you are a father who is being denied access to child custody or visitation. We also defend paternity suits in cases in which men are pursued for child support in cases where they are not the legal or biological fathers.

What a Texas Court May Order in a Paternity Suit

In cases of disputed paternity, the courts have several options to help determine paternity and establish legal fatherhood. Some of the court’s methods of determining paternity and enforcing support include:

• genetic testing (this can be used to determine the biological parentage);
• legal name change (the court may order an amended birth certificate and/or grant a name change for the child); and
• ordering child support (the court may order retroactive child support if it determines a legal father).

The court also has leeway to order either party – or both parties – to pay any fees associated with the suit. This may include court fees, the cost of genetic testing and attorney fees. A Dallas paternity and support attorney can talk to you about the specific circumstances that may apply in your case. This includes discussion of the time limits and statute of limitations that apply when establishing paternity and support in Dallas.

Think You Have a Case? Speak with a Dallas Paternity Support Attorney Today!

To learn more about your rights in a paternity suit, start by filling out our online contact form. Our offices provide many affordable legal services. Call (214) 290-8001 to speak with a Dallas paternity support attorney.