What Are Your Rights as An Unmarried Father in Texas?

Texas, like most other states in the US, puts a strong emphasis on the importance of fatherhood. In fact, the Texas Family Code 160.204 lays out the determining factors for the presumption of fatherhood, which includes the birth of a child within marriage, if the man is married to the mother before the child’s birth or if the child was born before the 301st day after the marriage is terminated by circumstances like divorce or death.

In these cases, the man is recognized as the father of the child. But can you exercise a father’s rights if you’re an unmarried father?

Texas Law for Father’s Rights

Unfortunately, Texas law doesn’t give any father’s rights to an unmarried father even if you are duly recognized in the child’s birth certificate. This means that the mother has the sole legal right to how she wants you to be in the child’s life. She can refuse to allow you and even your entire family from seeing the child without her permission.

Family Law Attorney

So, if you want to be part of your child’s life but you’re having problems with the terms imposed by the mother, the best thing to do is hire an experienced family law attorney to help you establish your parental rights and present your case in family court. Contact the Law Offices of Jon R. Boyd today for more information.

The Law Office of Jon R. Boyd practices Family and Probate Law and has two offices located in Fort Worth and Fort Worth, Texas. We‘re happy to offer our services here and to the surrounding areas: Fort Worth, Frisco, Allen, McKinney, Lewisville, Denton, The Colony, Little Elm, Carrollton, Richardson, Addison, Dallas or Fort Worth