Paternity in Texas

Click on the frequently asked question to view short answers on paternity in Texas.

• What do I do when one parent stops allowing visitation?



• I found out I have a child. Can I sign over my rights and avoid child support?



• Are there any time limits to establishing the paternity of a child?



• What is the significance of the father's identification on the birth certificate?



• Can the father change the child's last name to his?



• What rights does a biological father have?



• What responsibility does the father have for prenatal care and costs of delivery of the child?



• What are my rights as the father of a child?



• What does it mean to have my name on a birth certificate for a child? Does that mean I am the father?



• What if I have an order naming me as the father, but I have now tested myself and the child, and I am NOT the biological father?



• Can paternity of a child be tested before the child is born?



• What factors are used to determine retroactive child support in a paternity case?



• Can a father sign over his parental rights if he wants to avoid the payment of child support?



• Under what circumstances does a child have a "presumed" father?



• What if I just found out years after the divorce that I am not the father of the child?



• What are the rights of a mother?



• Can a child "divorce" the parents in Texas?