Paternity Attorney in Brazoria County

Brazoria County Paternity Cases, Handled with Purpose & Local Court Knowledge

For unmarried parents, paternity is the legal foundation everything else rests on. Without it, a father has no enforceable right to see his child, and a mother has no legal claim against that father for child support. At Kersh Law Firm, P.C., we handle paternity cases throughout Brazoria County, with an office in Angleton at the county seat. That location puts our attorneys in direct, regular contact with the courts where these cases are decided, including the 300th District Court, which carries the family law docket for Brazoria County.

Our team has represented clients since 2013 and brings more than 50 years of combined attorney experience to family law matters. Shane Kersh, Christian Landry, and Amy Abbott each handle paternity and related family law cases. Whether you’re a father seeking to establish your parental rights or a mother pursuing a child support obligation, we can guide you through the process from the first filing to the final order.

Call our Brazoria County paternity attorneys at (936) 297-5016 to schedule a consultation and find out exactly where you stand.

How Paternity Is Established in Texas

Texas law provides two distinct paths to legal paternity. The first is voluntary: both parents sign an Acknowledgment of Paternity (AOP), a form available at the hospital at birth or filed later through the Texas Vital Statistics Unit. Once submitted, the AOP adds the father’s name to the birth certificate and carries the same legal weight as a court order.

When parentage is disputed, either parent, the child, or the state can file a suit to adjudicate paternity. The court may order DNA testing to resolve the question. A confirmed test leads to an Order Adjudicating Parentage. If a named party fails to appear, the court can issue a default order. If both parties appear and agree, the judge may issue the order that same day. Paternity cases in Brazoria County are heard primarily in the 300th District Court, though the 461st District Court also carries family docket matters.

Once paternity is legally established, the same proceeding can address what comes next: conservatorship, a possession and access schedule, and child support. There’s no need for a second lawsuit to resolve those issues.

Rights & Responsibilities That Follow a Paternity Order

Legal paternity changes the picture for everyone involved, including the child. Here’s what attaches once parentage is established under Texas law:

• Conservatorship: Texas uses the term conservatorship rather than custody. A paternity order can designate one or both parents as managing conservator, giving either parent the right to make decisions about the child’s education, medical care, and residence.
• Possession and access: The legally established father gains standing to seek a defined visitation schedule, or standard possession order, under Texas Family Code guidelines.
• Child support: A legal father becomes obligated to pay child support calculated under the Texas child support guidelines.
• Inheritance and benefits: The child gains inheritance rights from the legal father and may be eligible for the father’s health insurance and Social Security benefits.
• Medical and school consent: Legal paternity allows the father to consent to medical treatment and school enrollment on the child’s behalf.

Why Brazoria County Families Work with Kersh Law Firm, P.C.

Our practice concentrates on family law, which means paternity, conservatorship, child support, and modification cases make up the core of our daily work. We don’t divide our attention across unrelated practice areas. Shane Kersh is also a certified mediator, so clients in a cooperative co-parenting situation and those heading into a contested hearing can have representation that fits their circumstances.

Our criminal defense and CPS defense background adds a dimension that matters when paternity disputes get complicated. When a case involves a protective order, allegations of misconduct, or contact from the Department of Family and Protective Services, we aren’t learning those systems from the outside. We work across them. Offices in Angleton, Pearland, and Sugar Land mean clients across Brazoria County can meet with our team at a location that works for them, and our flexible payment options are designed to keep quality representation within reach.