Denton Divorce Lawyer

Child Custody Rights for Unmarried Fathers

It isn’t uncommon in the United States for an unmarried couple to have a child or for a single mother to give birth to a child. When this happens, there are a number of custody issues that could come up between the parents. If a couple isn’t married, custody will automatically be granted to the mother in every case; however, in some instances, the father may have the ability to obtain certain parental or custody rights.

Unmarried fathers are not without legal options. With the support of a qualified custody attorney, a father may able to win custody of his child, even if he is not married to the mother. Contact a Denton custody attorney of Alexander & Associates today at 972-420-6560 to discuss your options and schedule a free consultation when you are seeking custody of your child.

How to Obtain Custody

In every custody case involving unmarried parents, the mother is awarded custody by default. In order for the biological father of the child to potentially get custody rights, he must first fill out a Voluntary Acknowledgment of Paternity form. After that the father has two options, which are:

• Work out a custody agreement with the child’s mother if he is currently living in the same house as her
• If he is not living in the same house as the mother and the two are no longer a couple, the father can only receive custody by proving that a joint custody arrangement is in the best interest of the child in question

The father can only win sole custody of the child in very rare cases where the mother is mentally or physically unfit to care for the child.

Contact Us

If you are an unmarried father pursuing joint custody of your child, you may have more options than you think. A skilled legal representative can assess your case and help you take the best course for you and your child. For more information about your case, contact our Denton child custody lawyers of Alexander & Associates at 972-420-6560 today.