Cases of unmarried couples having children together are not infrequent in San Antonio. If you happened to father a child with a woman to whom you are not married, you are not unlike many of those that we here at The Law Office of Roland R. Esparza, P.C. have worked with in the past. And just like those past clients, your decision to not marry your child’s mother may not necessarily impact the love you feel towards him or her. Yet in such a case, how are you to prevent your child’s mother from terminating your parental rights and/or putting your child up for adoption? 

According to Section 160.402 of the Texas Family Code, you are entitled to receive notice of any proceeding regarding your parental rights provided that you have already registered with the state’s registry of paternity prior to or within 31 days of your child having been born. You may want to consider taking this step immediately after learning that the mother is expecting in order to avoid any issues altogether. 

What if, however, you fail to do this? Say the child’s mother shares little information with you regarding her pregnancy or the child’s birth. In such a situation, you still have the right to remain informed of the potential of your child being adopted or your rights being changed if you commence proceedings to prove your child’s paternity prior to your parental rights being terminated. The same is true if you have already established a parental relationship with your child. Keep in mind, however, that a failure on your part to act or register your paternity in a timely manner may prompt the state to automatically terminate your rights. 

You can learn more about your rights as an unmarried father by continuing to explore our site.