Fathers play a crucial role in their children’s lives. As a father, you deserve to maintain a meaningful relationship with your child, regardless of your relationship status with the child’s mother. However, to protect these rights, you must first establish legal paternity. Without legally recognized paternity, you cannot obtain court orders for custody, visitation, or other parental rights.

At Jennifer Wiggins Moore Family Law, we understand the complex emotions and legal challenges that surround paternity cases. Our Board-Certified Family Law Attorney helps parents throughout Tarrant County establish, contest, or confirm paternity to protect both parents’ and children’s rights.

Need help establishing paternity in Texas? Contact our Keller paternity attorney online or call us today for a free consultation.

What Is Legal Paternity?

Legal paternity refers to the formal recognition of a man as a child’s father. This recognition grants specific rights and responsibilities under Texas law. While many assume biological fatherhood automatically creates legal paternity, this isn’t always the case.

In Texas, married couples benefit from the legal presumption that the husband is the father of any child born during the marriage. However, unmarried parents must take additional steps to establish legal paternity and secure a father’s rights.

Methods to Establish Paternity in Texas

Texas law provides multiple paths to establish legal paternity. These methods fall into two primary categories: voluntary and involuntary establishment.

Voluntary Paternity Establishment

When both parents agree on the father’s identity, they can establish paternity voluntarily. This straightforward process typically involves:

  • Signing an Acknowledgement of Paternity (AOP) at the hospital: This form, completed at the time of birth, adds the father’s name to the birth certificate.
  • Completing an AOP after birth: Parents can file this form with the Texas Department of State Health Services even after leaving the hospital.
  • Marriage after birth: If parents marry after their child’s birth, they can establish the husband’s paternity through a similar process.

The Acknowledgment of Paternity form is available at:

Involuntary Paternity Establishment

When a voluntary agreement isn’t possible, paternity may need to be established through court proceedings. This process typically begins when one of these parties files a Petition to Adjudicate Parentage:

  • The mother seeking child support or other assistance
  • The alleged father seeking to confirm or deny paternity
  • The child (through a representative)
  • The Texas Attorney General’s Office

If the alleged father contests paternity, the court will typically order genetic testing. These DNA tests provide scientific evidence of biological paternity with over 99 percent accuracy. Based on test results, the court will issue orders establishing paternity and addressing related matters such as child support, custody, and visitation.

The Importance of Establishing Paternity

Establishing legal paternity creates significant benefits for both children and parents:

Benefits for Children

  • Financial support: Children gain the legal right to child support, health insurance, and inheritance.
  • Identity development: Knowledge of both parents contributes to healthy emotional development.
  • Medical history: Access to complete family medical information is necessary for many healthcare decisions.
  • Benefits access: Eligibility for Social Security benefits, veteran’s benefits, and other entitlements can depend on the establishment of legal parentage.

Benefits for Fathers

  • Legal rights to custody and visitation: Fathers have no legal standing to seek custody or visitation without established paternity.
  • Decision-making authority: Legal fathers gain the right to participate in important decisions about education, healthcare, and religion.
  • Relationship protection: Legal recognition helps secure the father-child relationship regardless of changes in the parents’ relationship.

Benefits for Mothers

  • Financial support: Legal paternity creates enforceable child support obligations.
  • Shared responsibility: Both parents share legal responsibility for raising the child.
  • Decision support: Another engaged parent is eligible to consult on important child-rearing decisions.

Common Paternity Challenges in Texas

Paternity cases often involve complex emotional and legal challenges, such as:

  • Delayed action (When parents wait too long, the process becomes complicated)
  • Contested paternity (When either parent disputes biological fatherhood)
  • Interstate issues (When parents live in two different states)
  • Disestablishment (When a presumed father discovers he isn’t the biological father)
  • Adoption concerns (The court must terminate the parental rights of a father who was married to the mother or is listed on the birth certificate before the child can be adopted)

Each situation requires careful handling, with attention to both legal requirements and emotional factors. Having experienced legal counsel significantly improves outcomes in these sensitive cases.

Why Choose Jennifer Wiggins Moore as Your Keller Paternity Attorney

Jennifer Wiggins Moore offers skilled and compassionate representation to clients who need help with their legal paternity issues. Here’s why you should choose to work with our legal team:

  • Board certification in Family Law, demonstrating specialized knowledge and skill in family law matters
  • Extensive experience, including years of helping Tarrant County families resolve paternity issues
  • A deep familiarity with local courts and procedures in Keller and surrounding areas
  • Training in collaborative law to seek amicable resolutions when possible
  • A willingness to fight firmly for clients’ rights when litigation becomes necessary
  • Compassionate understanding that recognizes the emotional aspects of paternity cases while providing clear legal guidance

Our Approach to Paternity Cases

At Jennifer Wiggins Moore Family Law, we understand that each paternity case involves unique circumstances and emotions. We take a personalized approach, evaluating all aspects of your situation to develop the most effective plan of action for your situation. We know that legal processes surrounding paternity can feel overwhelming, so we are committed to explaining complex legal concepts in terms you can understand. 

Most importantly, we will advocate vigorously for your parental rights and remain accessible throughout the entire legal process. 

Serving Families Throughout Tarrant County

Our paternity attorney serves clients throughout Tarrant County, including Fort Worth, Arlington, Mansfield, Keller, Watauga, Haltom City, Southlake, Bedford, Hurst, Euless, Richland Hills, North Richland Hills, and Crowley.

Contact Our Keller Paternity Attorney Today

Paternity matters affect your most important relationships and legal rights. Whether you need to establish paternity, contest incorrect paternity, or enforce rights based on established paternity, Jennifer Wiggins Moore can give you the skilled legal representation you need.

Contact us today for a free consultation to discuss your paternity case and explore your options for protecting your parental rights.