Austin, Texas Paternity Lawyers

Paternity and Parentage Attorneys Serving Round Rock, Georgetown, and Travis County, TX

Establishing legal paternity of a child of unmarried parents helps to determine and clarify parental rights and responsibilities. At Powers and Kerr, PLLC, we work with parents of all genders who are seeking to prove or disprove the paternity of a child. If paternity is decided, our attorneys can then assist with litigating child support matters and implementing parenting plans that operate in the child's best interest.

Determining Parentage in Texas

A key component of navigating Texas paternity laws is resolving how to classify the supposed father. In Texas, a person believed to be a child's father can be classified as:

• Presumed – If a married woman gives birth, then the woman's husband is presumed to be the father of the child;
• Acknowledged – A man who signs and files a valid acknowledgement of paternity document with the Texas Vital Statistics Unit will be deemed to be an acknowledged father of the child;
• Adjudicated – A man who is determined by a court to be the father of a child will be considered the adjudicated father; or
• Alleged – If a man is suspected of fathering a child, but paternity has yet to be proven and the child was born out of wedlock, then the man is the child's alleged father.

A father wishing to challenge his paternity of a child will have different deadlines by which he must do so and steps he must take according to how he is classified. Furthermore, a court may require a father who is contesting paternity to prove certain facts or events depending on whether the father is characterized as presumed, acknowledged, or adjudicated.

Contact an Experienced Paternity Lawyer in Austin, TX

The process of establishing paternity involves several steps, possibly including voluntary DNA testing or even more rigorous court-ordered procedures. The team at Powers and Kerr, PLLC, has experience working with both mothers who wish to compel genetic testing of alleged fathers, and fathers who desire the same for a child. For those fathers whose paternity of the child has been determined, we work to resolve issues relating to child support, custody, and visitation.

If you are involved in litigating a paternity matter, or expect you might have to, call 512-610-6199 or contact us today to discuss your situation.