HELPING RESOLVE PATERNITY DISPUTES in Brown County

There are some relationships where it may be difficult to know who is the father of a child. Not every relationship is perfect, and sometimes people have partners who disappear and reappear throughout their lives.

When questions of paternity arise in your case, you need to understand that it is a serious issue. Whether you are a presumed father or the mother of the child, you want to get answers that you need to take the next steps in your case.

At Woodley & Dudley, our legal team is committed to offering you compassionate representation throughout your case. Our lawyers know how to address these often difficult to discuss matters, and we will be here to help you learn who is or is not the father of a child.

Explaining All Options Available to You

In many of these cases, paternity becomes an issue when a single mother attempts to obtain public benefits from various Texas agencies. As part of the application process, the mother will name whom she believes to be the father of the child, which could then subject the father to parental responsibilities such as the payment of child support.

We represent either mothers or fathers with concerns regarding paternity questions. Some of the issues that we can assist with include:

• Working with either side throughout the initial stages of a paternity matter
• Determining custody and support allegations after parentage is established
• Revisiting previous paternity matters where DNA tests had not been performed

This can be a very challenging issue to deal with, and you need an experienced legal team on your side to protect your rights. If you fail to take the proper actions throughout your case, you might not be taking full advantage of the options that are available to you. This could make everything much more difficult for you in the future.

How Long Do I Have To Establish Paternity in Texas?

In the state of Texas, there is no statute of limitations for establishing paternity. Meaning that an individual can file a paternity suit at any time. However, there may be particular limitations on the types of legal remedies available; this is dependent on the amount of time that has passed since the child's birth. For example, if the father has failed to acknowledge paternity before the child's fourth birthday, the court could order genetic testing before allocating an order for child support. If more than four years have passed since the child's birth, the father could be limited in his ability to pursue retroactive child support.

Helping You Get the Answers You Need in Your Case

We can help you make the entire paternity process much less complicated. To learn more about what our family law attorneys can do to help you protect your rights, call (325) 246-3250. You can also contact us by email to arrange your free consultation.