Sugar Land Father’s Rights Lawyer
When fighting a custody case in Texas, family courts are required to make decisions based on what is in the children’s best interest.
We believe that every father deserves to play an influential role in his child’s life. Many amazing fathers deserve effective legal representation, and our father’s rights lawyers are proud to provide that representation.
Whether you are seeking to adjust child support and visitation, navigate the divorce process, challenge paternity, or address any other fathers’ rights issues, we can help you through the legal process.
Contact Skillern Firm in Sugar Land, Texas
At Skillern Firm, we are a proud family law firm that prioritizes children’s lives, as well as the interests of our clients. Regardless of whether you are the biological or the presumed father, a family lawyer will fight on your behalf so that your parental rights are protected.
We are committed to helping clients find their new path of peace as soon as possible. Our outstanding lawyers are skilled in mediation and resolution and will work to protect your rights as a father in the best way possible.
Skillern Firm can provide advice on a wide range of legal issues regarding divorce and family law. Contact our Sugar Land office today to arrange an initial consultation with a father’s rights lawyer at 936-213-8479.
Fathers in Custody Proceedings
It is essential that fathers have equal access to their children if this is in the best interest of the child. A father’s rights lawyer at Skillern Firm will work tirelessly to protect your rights by demonstrating that it is in the best interest of the child for them to receive actual support from the father, not just financial support.
Best Interests of the Child in Child Custody Decisions
The Texas family code states:
“The best interest of the child shall always be the primary consideration of the Court in determining the issues of conservatorship and possession of and access to the child. (Tex. Fam. Code 153.002).”
Every Judge in Texas is required to make decisions based on the child’s best interest. This means that custody should be shared, or it should go to the parent who can best care for the child.
To determine what is in the best interest of the child, the Judge may consider many different factors:
Potential Danger to Child from Either Parent
In Sugar Land, Texas, the Court will consider whether either parent should be restricted due to any potential danger to the child. Evidence for this could include a history of violence or drug abuse. If you have a concern about the mother of your child in this regard, then it is essential you work with a father’s rights lawyer who can present strong and accurate evidence.
If one parent poses a danger, then evidence such as police reports, texts, emails, or diary entries may be crucial in securing child custody. Regardless of whether you are a step-father, biological father, or presumed father, you have a right to raise your concerns.
How Involved Each Parent is with their Child
In Sugar Land, Texas, family courts are required to look at the details of your individual case and not make a decision based on gender. However, they may consider how much involvement each parent has had in the child’s life.
If you are the parent who takes your child to parents’ evenings, doctor’s appointments, etc., then this could give you an advantage. However, if you have had an equal share of these types of important events, then you may be encouraged to continue to do so, no matter the custodial decision.
The Parents’ Stability
Another important aspect to consider is each parent’s stability. Can both parents provide adequate childcare, a steady income, and a safe and secure home? The Judge will look at each parent’s ability to do this in the past as well as in the present.
Family Proximity and Closeness
When children are brought up in close family groups, the Court will want to keep the child within that support network where possible. Unfortunately, this can make divorces involving long-distance relocation complicated.
Paternity of the Child
In Texas, if the parents of a child were not married when the child was born, it is important to establish paternity as quickly as possible. A father’s rights attorney in Sugar Land, Texas, can help you obtain a court order for a paternity test if necessary.
Step-parents also have a right to petition for visitation after a divorce. However, this can be difficult, and an attorney may be necessary in order to prove that this is in the best interest of the child.
The Emotional and Physical Needs of the Child
Depending on the child’s developmental stage, the Court may consider the ability of each parent to address the child’s current and future needs. This may include whether or not each parent can put the needs of the child before their own and adapt to the child’s changing needs.
Parental Alienation
The Court wants the child to have access to both parents if possible. If either parent is seen to be ‘alienating’ the other parent by attempting to influence the child against them, then this will be of serious concern to a Judge.
The Child’s Preference
If a child is over the age of 12, then the court may take their preferences into account. At the request of your lawyer, a Judge can confer with a child on their preference. The Judge will not only weigh the child’s preference in making their decision though. Texas Judges’ core focus is what is in the best interest of the child.
Contact Sugar Land, Texas Father’s Rights Lawyers Today!
When you seek legal representation from a father’s rights attorney at Skillern Firm, you will receive representation from highly skilled and highly experienced family law attorneys. We believe in an attorney-client relationship based on trust and honesty. We will do everything possible to protect your rights and resolve your case as quickly as possible.
Our team has many years of experience helping fathers like you. We are skilled in mediation and will do everything possible to resolve disputes with as little court involvement as possible. However, we will be prepared to use our experience to fight on your behalf in Court if necessary.
A skilled Sugar Land father’s rights lawyer will give you the best chance at securing a future you are happy with. Once child custody has been established, it is much more difficult to challenge. Therefore, you should do what you can now to protect yourself and your child.
Contact Skillern Firm now to arrange an initial consultation at 936-213-8479.