McKinney Paternity Lawyer

Experienced Attorney for Cases Involving Disputed Paternity

The establishment of paternity is often the first step in the sometimes complicated legal world of family law. In a family law case, it can be vitally important to address paternity, as it can impact many other aspects of the case and each participant's legal responsibilities. Ultimately, establishing paternity can be helpful to both parties. In some cases, a father is fighting to establish paternity to ensure that he can receive custody rights or parenting time. An individual's paternity may have been wrongly identified, resulting in an undue financial impact, including child support obligations, on the assumed father. In other situations, a mother may be seeking to legally confirm paternity so that she can receive financial support to provide for her child's needs. Any paternity case can be emotionally trying for all parties involved, and these cases can have long-reaching effects.

No matter the circumstances of your case, it is important to work with an attorney to resolve any disputes successfully, ultimately resulting in the best outcome for the child or children involved. The Ramage Law Group stands ready to provide you with legal help to negotiate Texas' paternity laws.

Establishing Paternity Under Texas Law

Paternity means being the legally defined father of a child, with all of the legal rights and responsibilities that come with it. In many cases, it can be beneficial for both the mother and the father in a family law case to legally establish the paternity of a child or children. There are three ways under Texas law that a man may be legally established as the father of a child:

• Marriage - When a baby is born to a married couple, the husband is automatically assumed to be the legal father.
• Acknowledgment of Paternity - If a couple is not married, the mother and father of a child can sign a legal form known as an Acknowledgement of Paternity if both agree that he is the biological father.
• Court Order - If there is a disputed paternity case, unmarried parents can establish legal paternity through the Office of the Attorney General Child Support Division or through a suit filed in court with the help of a private attorney. In this case, DNA testing may be ordered by a judge. Confirmation of an alleged father's paternity requires a DNA match of 99 percent or greater.

Whether it is through acknowledgment or the legal process, our law firm can help unmarried parents establish legal paternity so they can move forward and begin to address other issues, including custody and child support.

Benefits of Establishing Paternity

Having both parents involved in a child's life can have many positive, intangible benefits. However, there are also clear legal benefits for both parents if a father and a mother are both legally involved in a child's life. The legal establishment of paternity can give a child greater access to health care, as well as financial resources including child support, insurance coverage, veteran's benefits, and Social Security benefits. The child will have full access to their father's medical records, which can help with medical care throughout their life. They will also have the right to receive an inheritance upon the death of the father. There is no reason a child should not have every opportunity and benefit available.

Our law firm can help you navigate your paternity case. We can help mothers establish paternity to ensure child support or other financial benefits for their child, we can help establish paternity to protect fathers' rights, including visitation.

Contact a McKinney Paternity Lawyer Today

If you are involved in a paternity case or another family law matter and have questions about your rights and options, contact The Ramage Law Group at 469-240-1371 or use our online form. We serve Denton, Tarrant, Harris, and Collin Counties, including McKinney, Allen, Prosper, Frisco, and Plano.