Harris County Texas Fathers Rights Lawyers

Fathers’ rights can be a highly delicate legal matter, especially following a divorce or when child custody and respect for a father’s wishes are on the line.

Texas law dictates that a father’s rights are every bit as important as those of the child’s mother. Parents must also consider that if the child in question is aged 12 or over, the court system will not only consider the child’s emotional and physical needs but also their own wishes in terms of custody, residence, and education.

Many fathers assume that the child’s mother has a more significant say in what happens to the child once they are separated. However, child custody decisions depend on input from both, as long as the male partner is acknowledged as the legal father.

If you are unsure of your legal right surrounding your child’s life and require legal guidance and support, we invite you to contact our Harris County father’s rights lawyers today to see how we can help.

Begin Your Attorney-Client Relationship With Skillern Firm Today

We specialize in family law at Skillern Firm and pride ourselves on an attorney-client relationship built on trust and expertise. We will not only help you navigate family courts and assist in winning legal cases, but also provide the support you need in potentially challenging times.

Our mission involves helping clients understand their rights throughout every aspect of family law. We have worked extensively on cases involving a father’s rights. We will be with you every step of the way to ensure that the father-child relationship continues to flourish, no matter the circumstances.

Delays and lengthy legal cases can have a significant impact on children’s lives, which is why our family law firm is standing by now to help you understand and act in your case.

Contact our father’s rights lawyers covering Harris County and the surrounding areas at 936-213-8479 to find out precisely how we can help.

What Our Father’s Rights Lawyer Can Do For You

Perhaps the most significant way in which our Harris County father’s rights lawyers can help is by helping you understand your parental rights. Many child custody cases favor the mother only because they are often perceived as the superior caregiver. This is not only influenced by bias but also contravenes a father’s legal rights.

Texas courts automatically favoring the mother is a common misconception, as both legal parents have equal standing in court. Our father’s rights lawyers in Harris County will help you understand those rights, and when you work with Skillern Firm, we will ensure that those rights are always respected.

It goes without saying that the sooner you speak to a father’s rights lawyer, the sooner they can address your legal issues. Our aim, like yours, is to ensure that the best interests and overall well-being of the children in question take priority. We will work closely with you and gather time-sensitive information and other evidence to support your case.

Whether you are working on a child custody arrangement or planning ahead in the midst of divorce proceedings, we take every individual case at face value and work on helping fathers receive the equal say to which they are entitled under Texas law.

Child Custody and Best Interests

Some custody battles are more complex than others. However, even in cases whereby both parents reach an agreement independent of the courts, it makes sense to seek legal advice to ensure any arrangement is legally binding.

Unfortunately, not all cases are straightforward. One parent may make demands that the other cannot meet, or there may be disagreements around child custody, child support, and other elements.

In these cases, an experienced Houston father’s rights lawyer can help guide a father toward what is best for them and their children alike.

If a child custody case does end up in the Texas family courts, a judge will consider a number of factors before making an official binding judgment.

Danger to the Child

A Texas judge’s priority will always be to ensure that the child’s safety comes first. If one parent’s ability to look after the child is vastly superior to the other parent, then they immediately have the upper hand in any case.

Our father’s rights lawyers in Houston can help Harris County residents with these cases by finding evidence that will influence a Judge’s decision. For example, if one parent has a noted history of drug abuse or background checks develop police reports involving violence, a parent may gain an immediate advantage over their counterpart in the courtroom.

Of course, child safety means more than gaining the upper-hand. Whether you are the presumed father, acknowledged father, or fulfill any other paternal role, your attorney will help make the case and provide the evidence to back it up.

Each Parent’s Stability

A judge will also consider the stability of each parent when making a decision around custody. Ideally, their binding decision will remain in place indefinitely and take into account a child’s changing needs in the future.

Each individual case may involve different definitions of stability. If a parent retains the family home following a divorce, for example, a child’s preference to continue living in the stable environment with which they are familiar may be crucial.

This can also extend to secure employment, experience in raising the child, and the relative closeness of other family members.

Involvement With the Child

If a father or mother has had a greater influence on the child throughout their life so far, they stand a greater chance of maintaining that connection. For example, if a parent regularly works away or has lived apart from the family for a significant period, a Judge will take such into consideration.

However, our father’s rights lawyers will also consider potential parental alienation. If a parent attempts to convince the child that they are better off without the other without basis, a judge may not consider this as being in the best interests of the child.

Family law extends to a number of different practice areas, and your attorney can help ensure that the child is never unfairly influenced by the other parent.

The Child’s Personal Preference

As noted, a Judge will often consider the child’s own wishes when determining their best interest.

If the child expresses a preference to live with their father and there is nothing to suggest that doing so would not be in their best interest, then this must be taken into account as part of any custody arrangements.

Protecting Your Rights as the Legal Father

A father’s rights lawyer can also assist in establishing the legal rights held by the father in each case. It is vital to understand and, where possible, rectify these arrangements before a case reaches court.

Under Texas law, if the mother and father were married at the time of the birth of their children, the father is the presumed father.

For unmarried couples, your rights become more complex. Indeed, an unmarried father only has limited legal rights to their child following the birth, although those rights increase once their name is added to the official birth certificate.

Where necessary, your lawyer will help to make the necessary arrangements for a paternity test, ensuring your rights in each case do not suffer on the basis of you not being the acknowledged father.

Stepparents also have involvement in child custody arrangements, although these cases are often particularly complex. Nevertheless, if it can be proven that continued access to a stepfather is in the child’s best interest, a father’s rights lawyer can help you make it happen.

Speak to Our Harris County Texas Father’s Rights Lawyers Now

The last thing any child needs following divorce proceedings is an extended period of uncertainty. At the same time, fathers do not need to feel like they are in any way less important than the mother when it comes to understanding and influencing the best interests of the child.

As a father, you are an equal parent under Texas law, and that means you have the same rights and influence in court over matters of child custody, child support, and anything else that ensures your child does not suffer now or in the future.

At Skillern Firm, we will ensure that your rights are always respected and that you have the same influence in court as another parent. We have extensive experience in family law, covering everything from the initial divorce to handling protective orders on behalf of our clients.

We take great pride in being more than just legal experts – we provide the support and guidance father need when looking out for their children.

If you face any issues under family law and want to ensure that you can exercise your parental rights both now and in the future, our team will ensure that this remains the case.

Call our offices covering Harris County and much of Texas today at 936-213-8479 for an initial consultation.