When people in San Antonio hear the term “child abandonment,” they may conjure up the classic image of a young mother leaving her child on the doorstep of an orphanage in the middle of the night. At first glance, statistics may seem to support this assumption. Information share by the Child Welfare Information Gateway shows that as of 2014, there were over 415,000 children in foster care in the U.S. Yet many of these children’s cases may not meet the assumed definition of abandonment. In fact, each state has its own guidelines determining when a child might be considered to be abandoned.
Defining abandonment in Texas
Can you collect child support retroactively?
Most in San Antonio may view establishing a child support obligation as a rather simple matter: you and your spouse choose to separate (or you choose to not marry your child’s other parent), and a reasonable amount of support is determined. Yet it is not always that simple. What if, as a single mother, you lost contact with the father of your child, only to later discover where he was living? Could you petition that he now be obliged to pay child support for the period of time that he was away?
What are grounds for divorce in Texas?
Many may have the idea that San Antonio couples do not need a reason to end their marriages. The truth, however, is that if you are seeking a divorce, Texas law requires that you have a valid reason for doing so. Almost all states have well-defined scenarios that constitute valid grounds for divorce. The one that you cite as the reason for ending your marriage will determine of yours will be considered an at-fault or no-fault divorce.
Is yours a common law marriage or a domestic partnership?
Many couples both in San Antonio and throughout the rest of the U.S. choose to cohabitate rather than marry. The decision to do so may not necessarily be a reflection of their feelings towards each other and their relationship, but rather could simply be based on a personal preference. If this describes you and your partner’s situation, then you may think that the two of you are defined as being in a common law marriage. This assumption could have a dramatic impact on what could happen should you one day choose to separate.
