Paternity
Houston Paternity Attorney
Determining the paternity of a child can be a difficult and sensitive subject. Unfortunately, there are several cases in which fathers, and even the mother, have incorrectly assumed the paternity of child. This painful realization is often coupled with important legal and financial implications.
If you believe that you are supporting a child who is not yours or are dealing with an ex-spouse who is refusing to acknowledge their child, you need to immediately contact a Houston paternity attorney. Stephany Alvarez is a family law attorney who can help establish the parent-child relationship, as well as custody, visitation, and child support. Call 713-808-1000 for sound legal advice regarding legal parentage of your child.
Establishing Legal Paternity
Raising a child is a challenge in and of itself; doing it alone is even more difficult. At Katine Nechman McLaurin, we can help you determine the parentage of your child and work to get the support you and your child deserves.
Texas courts cannot order a father to pay child support until paternity is established. If the child is born to an unmarried couple, the man, despite being the biological father, is not the legal father until the parent-child relationship has been established. Establishing legal paternity secures the legal rights of the child and father. Until that relationship is established, a father may not be entitled to custody or visitation.
If the father of your child does not believe that the child is his, you should immediately contact a Houston paternity attorney. Every day that goes by is a day that your child does not receive support he/she needs. We can help you arrange for paternity testing, guide you through the paternity establishment process, and fight for your right to child support.
Determining Paternity: Fathers’ Rights Attorney
In May of 2011, the Texas Senate passed legislation that protects men who have been victims of mistaken paternity. Modern DNA testing allows individuals to evaluate, with complete certainty, whether they are the biological father of the child in question. Under this new law, an individual who has been paying child support for a child that is not biologically theirs may qualify to terminate the relationship with the child and discontinue child support payments. Under certain conditions, the mistaken father also has the right to visit with the child.
Further, there is a deadline for petitioning in the issue of mistaken paternity; you must submit the proper paperwork within a year of finding out that you are not the biological parent.
As a Houston fathers’ rights attorney, Stephany Alvarez also defends men who have just found out they are parents against unjust child support assessments.
One should call an attorney immediately upon discovering that they are or are not the biological father. A skilled and compassionate Houston paternity attorney can evaluate your situation and determine what legal resources are available to you.