(Paternity) I need a paternity order.
(Paternity) I need a paternity order.
Paternity disputes are a sensitive and often complex issue that can complicate family relationships and affect both parents and children. They can have a significant impact on the lives of everyone in your family and must be taken seriously.
Establishing Paternity in Texas
Unless paternity is established, a child born to an unwed mother does not have a legal father under Texas family law. In Texas, paternity can be established in one of two ways: Voluntarily or involuntary.
Voluntary establishment occurs when both parents sign a legal document – called an Acknowledgment of Paternity (AOP) – agreeing that one man is the biological father of the child. The second way to establish paternity is through a court proceeding. If paternity is disputed, the court can order that a DNA test be conducted. The results of the DNA test can establish paternity.
The decision to voluntarily acknowledge paternity should not be taken lightly because it is an important one for both you and your child. Once paternity is established, the legal father has certain responsibilities and rights.
Once paternity is established, children benefit from:
- Having a relationship with both parents
- Better understanding their family’s medical history
- Having access to medical insurance, life insurance, social security, and inheritance
This toolkit includes:
- Instructions & Forms you can use to file a paternity case.
- Use the first set of instructions if everyone agrees.
- Use the second set of instructions if you don’t think the child’s other parent will participate in the process.
Purchase your legal Paternity Kit today!
(Termination) I want to terminate my rights. I mistakenly thought I was the genetic father.
(Termination) I want to terminate my rights. I mistakenly thought I was the genetic father.
In certain circumstances, a man mistakenly named as a child’s legal father can ask a court to terminate his parental rights. This toolkit tells you about filing a mistaken paternity case. Click here to purchase your legal kit today!
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What is paternity?
Paternity is the legal identification of a child’s father. When paternity is established the child’s genetic father becomes the child’s legal father with all of the rights and duties of a parent. Paternity can be established by legal presumption (when the parents are married), by filing an acknowledgment of paternity, r by court order.
Why is establishing paternity important?
Establishing paternity secures a father’s rights as a parent. Also, children need and are entitled to:
- financial support from both parents. A court cannot order an alleged father to pay child support until paternity has been established benefits, such as social security, insurance, inheritance, and veteran’s benefits, from both parents if they are available.
- A child might not be able to claim benefits from the father if paternity has not been established medical history. Children have the right to know if they have inheritable health problems.
What is an Acknowledgment of Paternity?
An Acknowledgment of Paternity (AOP) is a legal form signed by a man and the child’s mother that states (under penalty of perjury) that the man is the child’s genetic father. An AOP is usually used when the parents aren’t married but agree on the identity of the child’s father. When the completed AOP is filed with the Texas Vital Statistics Unit, the genetic father becomes the child’s legal father with all the rights and duties of a parent.
**Exception: If the child’s mother is married to someone else when the child is born (or the child is born within 300 days of the date of divorce) then the husband (or ex-husband) is the child’s presumed father. You cannot use the AOP form to establish paternity unless the presumed father also signs a Denial of Paternity (DOP).
Purchase your Paternity Kit today for legal documents and more instructions.
Contact Us for additional information.
888-222-7504
Contact Us for additional information.
888-222-7504
If you have any additional questions or concerns regarding this subject matter please seek the advice of a legal attorney.
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This website only contains general legal information and does not contain legal advice. Zariah A'londra Tax and Legal Services is not a law firm or a substitute for an attorney or law firm. The law is complex and changes often. For legal advice, please ask a lawyer.