Parental Rights Attorney in Fort Worth

Born and Raised in Fort Worth. Prosecutor Turned Parental Rights Advocate.

Parental rights are among the most important legal interests a person can hold. In Texas, those rights cover your authority to make decisions about your child’s education, healthcare, and upbringing, as well as your right to time with your child. At The Clark Law Firm, we handle parental rights matters for parents throughout Fort Worth and Tarrant County, whether you’re asserting rights for the first time, defending rights that are under threat, or enforcing an order a co-parent has stopped following.

These matters arise in divorce, but they also arise between unmarried parents who have never shared a household. We work with parents in both situations. Texas courts decide these cases on the best interest of the child, without favoring either parent based on gender.

If your parental rights are at stake, don’t wait to get counsel. Call our Fort Worth office at (817) 435-4970 or contact us through the online form to schedule a complimentary consultation.

How Texas Defines Parental Rights: Conservatorship & Possession

Texas law uses the term conservatorship rather than custody, and that distinction matters when you’re navigating the court system here. A managing conservator holds the legal authority to make decisions about the child’s life. A possessory conservator has the right to time with the child but not the same level of decision-making authority.

Within those categories, Texas courts can order one of two main structures:

Joint Managing Conservatorship: Both parents share legal rights and responsibilities. This is the most common arrangement, but it doesn’t automatically mean equal possession time.
Sole Managing Conservatorship: One parent holds primary decision-making authority. Courts typically reserve this for situations where shared decision-making isn’t workable or would harm the child.

Physical rights, called possession and access, determine where the child lives and the schedule for time with each parent. A parenting plan or possession and access schedule is part of every conservatorship order. Without a court order in place, an unmarried parent, particularly a father who hasn’t established paternity, may have no enforceable right to possession, access, or decision-making, even as the biological parent.

Establishing Parental Rights in Texas

Married fathers are presumed legal parents at birth. Unmarried fathers must establish paternity first, either voluntarily through an Acknowledgment of Paternity or through a court order. Once paternity is established, either parent can file a Suit Affecting the Parent-Child Relationship (SAPCR) under the Texas Family Code to obtain a binding order covering conservatorship, possession, access, and child support. We handle paternity matters as part of our parental rights practice, so parents who need that prerequisite step don’t have to piece together separate representation.

When courts set conservatorship terms, they apply the best-interest-of-the-child standard. Relevant factors include each parent’s ability to provide a stable home, the child’s relationship with each parent, each parent’s willingness to support the other’s relationship with the child, and any history of family violence or substance abuse. Children 12 and older may express a preference to the court, though the judge isn’t bound by that preference. Existing orders can be modified when there’s been a material and substantial change in circumstances since the prior order was entered. We handle both initial conservatorship proceedings and modifications when life has changed enough to warrant revisiting the terms.

When Parental Rights Are Under Threat

Rights established by a court order are only as strong as your ability to enforce them. A co-parent who ignores a possession schedule or blocks your access to your child can be held in contempt of court. We assist parents in pursuing enforcement proceedings when an order isn’t being followed.

Other threats to parental rights require a different approach:

False Allegations: Accusations of abuse or neglect sometimes arise in custody disputes as a litigation tactic. Our background in handling domestic violence matters across both criminal defense and family law gives us relevant experience responding to these claims on the record.
Relocation: When a co-parent seeks to move the child to another city or state, it can trigger a modification proceeding that reshapes both parents’ possession schedules. We represent parents on both sides of relocation disputes.
Opposed Modifications: If a co-parent seeks to change an existing order in ways that would reduce your time or authority, we can defend the current arrangement or negotiate terms that support your relationship with your child.

Formal termination of parental rights is a separate and more severe proceeding reserved for circumstances involving abuse, neglect, or abandonment. If you’re facing a termination action, that process is covered in detail separately.

Why Fort Worth Parents Choose The Clark Law Firm

Founder Brad Clark was born and raised in Fort Worth and spent time as a prosecutor before building this firm. He knows the Tarrant County family courts, the local judiciary, and how these cases move through the system. That courtroom familiarity is an asset whether you’re asserting parental rights for the first time or defending against a challenge to an existing order.

Experience & Credentials

Our firm brings over 35 years of combined professional experience across family law and criminal defense and has handled thousands of cases in both areas. That breadth matters in parental rights work, where a custody dispute and a criminal allegation can intersect in the same proceeding. Our full-time administrative staff keeps the office running so our attorneys stay focused on your case. We also use current technology and electronic processes to keep communication efficient and case research current.

The Clark Law Firm has earned recognition including the 2021 Top Attorney designation from Fort Worth Magazine, the Client Distinction Award, Avvo Clients’ Choice, an Avvo Rating of 10.0, and Texas Bar Foundation Fellow status. We accept credit cards and offer no-interest payment plans.

Talk to a Parental Rights Lawyer in Fort Worth

Whether you’re establishing rights for the first time, responding to a modification, or trying to enforce an order that’s being ignored, the next step is a conversation. We offer complimentary consultations for parents throughout Fort Worth and Tarrant County.

Call The Clark Law Firm at (817) 435-4970 or reach us through the online contact form to get started.