Bastrop, TX Paternity Lawyers
HEMBREE BELL LAW FIRM
We protect your kids, your money, & your business.
Establishing paternity in Texas is crucial for ensuring parental rights, financial support, and the child’s best interests, whether it involves voluntary acknowledgment or court-ordered determination.
Key Takeaways:
Paternity in Texas can be established voluntarily through an Acknowledgment of Paternity (AOP) or through court action, which typically involves DNA testing.
Legal paternity is necessary for fathers to exercise custody rights and for mothers to secure financial support.
Men implicated in paternity suits can protect themselves through DNA testing to ensure they are not held responsible for a child they did not father.
Paternity is always a sensitive, emotionally-charged issue, and it’s far more critical than a simple legal matter. For a father, every minute that he is not recognized as the biological parent of his child means that he is not able to exercise his parental rights and build a meaningful relationship with them. For a mother, each passing day that her child’s father refuses responsibility to their child, she struggles to meet their needs without additional financial or parental support.
At Hembree Bell Law Firm, our compassionate Bastrop paternity lawyers help both men and women navigate the Texas legal system to support the best interests of the child(ren) at the center of the case. We have decades of collective experience and a passion for being the shoulder that families can lean on when they’re facing a difficult time. You can trust us to help you move forward with confidence and integrity.
Contact our firm today to request your free case evaluation and learn more about your next steps.
Understanding The Texas Paternity Process
Each state has its own process for establishing paternity. In Texas, paternity is automatically presumed for the husband of any married woman who gives birth, and no additional steps are required (unless the married couple disagrees on paternity of the child).
However, when a child is born to an unmarried woman, determining paternity involves additional, more complex, legal steps. In such cases, there are two primary ways to establish paternity:
Voluntarily, which means that both parents are in agreement on who the father is and submit an Acknowledgement of Paternity form (AOP) to the state, and
Court action, in which unmarried parents can get a court order naming the legal father; either parent can file a suit through the OAG Child Support Division.
Our experienced Bastrop men’s paternity lawyers can help you determine how best to proceed depending on your specific situation.
How Our Bastrop Paternity Lawyers Can Support You
Once our team has discussed your situation with you, we can help you determine the best way to move forward. There are two potential ways to get a court order establishing paternity – file an application for services with the OAG (Office of the Attorney General) and go through a child support review process with child support staff. A court order through the OAG may either result in an agreed order or a paternity petition.
If parents agree on paternity, they can request a DNA test, sign an agreed order and, in many cases, avoid having to appear in court. If the parents do not agree, a paternity petition can be filed in court asking a judge to make the final decision on paternity and that the alleged father be named the legal father. Often, the court will then order DNA testing to take place, especially if one of the parties is fighting the paternity suit.
It’s important to know that establishing paternity does not automatically mean a father can start having custody of the child, or the mother can start receiving child support. Our Bastrop paternity lawyers can not only guide you through the steps of the paternity establishment process, but through the steps of whatever subsequent legal matter you’re pursuing after the fact.
Is It Possible To Dispute Paternity Allegations?
The men at the center of paternity suits are not always the child’s biological father, no matter how much the biological mother insists that they are. Our Bastrop paternity lawyers can represent you if you’re implicated in a paternity suit for a child you do not believe to have fathered and ensure your rights are upheld. We will put you in a prime position for a quick and seamless resolution through DNA testing, which is simple and accurate, to guarantee that you are not emotionally or financially manipulated into caring for a child to which you have no biological ties.
Let Hembree Bell Law Firm Serve You With Care. Call Today!
Let our Bastrop paternity lawyers help you get the answers you need and deserve. Whether you’re a mother in desperate need of parental support or a father desiring a relationship with your biological child, we’re here to help. Call today to book your free initial case evaluation and speak with a member of our team about your situation.
Frequently Asked Questions About Paternity In Bastrop, TX
What if I was mistakenly established as the child’s legal father?
You can file a mistaken paternity case with the court and ask to have your parental rights terminated. Our Bastrop paternity lawyers can walk you through this process and ensure your rights are protected.
How can I challenge an AOP signed by someone else?
If the child’s mother and another man signed an AOP that established him as the legal father, but you believe yourself to be the true biological father, you can file a paternity suit with the court as long as you did not sign the AOP or a DOP (denial of paternity) and:
Less than four years have passed since the effective date of the AOP, or
The AOP is void
How long does a paternity suit generally take?
This will vary on a case-by-case basis because it depends on how stacked the court dockets are. Some cases might take as little as a few weeks, while others may take several months, especially if the other party is intent on fighting the paternity suit.