Supporting You Through Establishment of Parentage
When you need to formalize custody, support and possession for children not born during a marriage, establishing parentage (often called paternity) is an essential first step. No matter your situation, it is important to seek the counsel of an experienced family law attorney.
Mary has extensive experience in a wide range of family law matters and is prepared to provide legal guidance to clients in Austin and throughout Central Texas.
Representing Clients in Paternity And Parentage Matters
It is crucial to realize that paternity establishes both rights and obligations. Each paren twill not only gain certain legal rights, but will also have clearer legal responsibilities and duties to the child and the other parent. Mary assists her clients in all matters related to paternity proceedings, including:
- Child support obligations.
- The child’s medical coverage and payment of medical expenses not paid by insurance.
- Conservatorship of the child, including rights to make important decisions for the child such as consenting to surgery or invasive medical treatment of the child, and whether a domicile restriction should be ordered, limiting the ability of the parent who is awarded the right to designate the primary residence of the child from relocating in the future.
- Changing the surname of the child.
- Making application for the issuance of a new birth certificate after establishing the paternity of the child’s father, and/or an agreed or court ordered change of name for the child.
- The ability to challenge a parental relocation attempt.
