Under Texas family law, there are several ways to establish a parent-child relationship between a man and a child, including an unrebutted presumption, an acknowledgement of paternity, adjudication of paternity, adoption, or the man consenting to assisted reproduction resulting in the birth of a child.  A mother recently challenged her former husband’s standing to bring a Suit Affecting the Parent Child Relationship (“SAPCR”) and the trial court’s adjudication of him as the child’s father. The mother gave birth to the child, identified as “Luke” in the appeals court’s opinion, a month aft ..read more

While ideally a child’s parentage is determined when they are young, that does not always occur.  A Texas appeals court recently considered whether the trial court could adjudicate the parentage of an adult petitioner after the death of the putative father. Adult Child Files Paternity Suit Against Father’s Estate An adult petitioner filed suit against his mother, his alleged father, and the independent executor of his alleged father’s estate, seeking adjudication of his parentage and a declaration that he was the alleged father’s biological son and had the rights and privileges of a survi ..read more

Under Texas family law, a mother’s husband is presumed to be the father of a child born during the marriage.  This presumption can be rebutted by an adjudication of parentage or by a valid denial of paternity filed by the presumed father along with a valid acknowledgement of paternity filed by another person.  Tex. Fam. Code § 160.204. If a child has a presumed father, a suit to adjudicate the child’s parentage may not be brought after the child’s fourth birthday unless an exception applies.  Tex. Fam. Code § 160.607. Presumed Father Challenges Paternity Adjudication A presumed ..read more

Some families choose to resolve custody manners informally.  When the parties are the biological parents, subsequent disputes can be resolved through a Texas custody case.  When one party is not biological parent, however, resulting disputes may be more complex. In a recent case, a maternal uncle and aunt appealed an order that required them to pay child support for their nephew. When the child was born, the child’s biological mother asked her brother to act as the child’s father.  The brother signed an acknowledgment of paternity, birth certificate, and a verification of birth ..read more

Texas family law presumes a man is the father of a child in certain circumstances, including when he is married to the child’s mother at the time of the birth or when he continuously resides with the child for the first two years of the child’s life and holds himself out to others as the child’s father. Tex. Fam. Code § 160.204.  A Texas trial court must generally order genetic testing to determine parentage if one of the parties requests it, but that is not the case if there is a presumed father. Tex. Fam. Code § 160.502. When there is a presumed father, the court may deny the request fo ..read more

The trial court in a Texas family law case has only a limited ability to change its judgment once its plenary power expires.  Generally, plenary power lasts for thirty days from the date the final judgment is signed, but it may be extended if the court overrules certain motions or modifies the judgment while it still has plenary power. In a recent case, a mother challenged the court’s authority to reform the judgment.  According to the appeals court’s opinion, she had petitioned for the adjudication of the parentage of her child.  Both the mother and the alleged father sought an ..read more

Sometimes parents disagree about whose surname a child should have.  Texas family law allows a court to order a name change for a child if the change is in the child’s best interest.  Tex. Fam. Code Ann. § 45.004.  Additionally, when a court adjudicates parentage, it may order a name change if a parent requests it and “for good cause shown.”  Tex. Fam. Code Ann. § 160.636.  Some appeals courts have held that those are two distinct tests, while others have held that the child’s best interest is necessarily good cause and simply determine if the change would be in the ch ..read more

When there is a finding of paternity, a child’s father may move to change the child’s name.  Under Texas family law and the state constitution, both parents are treated equally, however, so a child’s surname will not be changed to that of the father based solely on tradition. The court may only change the child’s name based on “good cause shown” and the best interest of the child.   Some courts consider a showing of the child’s best interest to be sufficient to establish good cause, but other courts require the requesting party to establish both. In a recent case, the parents ag ..read more

Texas family law presumes a husband is the father of his wife’s children born during the marriage. A presumed father may challenge paternity, but he generally must do so by the child’s fourth birthday.  Adjudication of the paternity of a child with a presumed father may occur later, however, if a court finds the presumed father did not live with or have sexual intercourse with the mother when the child was conceived or if misrepresentations led the presumed father to a mistaken belief he was the biological father.  Tex. Fam. Code § 160.607. A husband recently challenged a trial court ..read more