Establishing paternity in Texas is about more than a label on a birth certificate. It determines a father’s legal right to be in his child’s life, a child’s right to financial support and inheritance, and a mother’s ability to obtain an enforceable support order. Until paternity is legally established, none of those rights exist in any form that a court will protect. Scott M. Brown & Associates represents Sugar Land parents through paternity cases in Texas, whether you are a father seeking to establish your rights, a mother pursuing enforceable support, or a parent contesting a claim in Fort Bend County.
Schedule a confidential consultation: call +1 281-393-4184 or request a time online. You will talk through your situation with our team and leave knowing what your next step looks like.
Family Law We Handle in Sugar Land
Our Sugar Land practice covers the full range of family law, including paternity and the issues below. If your situation involves one of these other matters, we can help, and each link leads to the page that covers it in depth.
- Divorce: Filing, negotiating, and finalizing your case, whether contested or agreed.
- Child Custody: How conservatorship and possession schedules are decided for your children.
- Child Support: Setting, modifying, or enforcing child support under Texas guidelines.
- Spousal Support: Whether you qualify for spousal maintenance, and for how long it lasts.
- Property Division: How Texas community property law applies to your home, business, and retirement accounts.
Where You Are, Where Your Case Is Heard
| Office | Counties Served | Where Custody Cases Are Heard |
|---|---|---|
| Scott M. Brown & Associates 12808 W Airport Blvd, Suite 303B Sugar Land, Texas 77478 +1 281-393-4184 Mon-Thu: 8 AM – 5:30 PM Fri: 9 AM – 12 PM | Fort Bend County | Fort Bend County Justice Center 1422 Eugene Heimann Circle Richmond, TX 77469 Custody and family law cases are heard by the District Courts. New petitioners are filed with the District Clerk at the same address. |
Once paternity is established in Fort Bend County, custody, possession, and child support are typically resolved in the same proceeding, so you are not left filing separate cases to settle the full picture. We guide Sugar Land clients through that entire sequence, from establishing paternity to finalizing what follows it, and we appear in these courts regularly.
The Attorneys Who Serve Sugar Land
When you hire our firm, you work with attorneys who practice family law in Fort Bend County, not just a name on the letterhead.
Scott M. Brown
Senior Partner & CEO
Board Certified in Family Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization and a named Texas Super Lawyer, Scott has spent more than two decades on high-net-worth divorce, contested custody, and parent-child relationship suits, the same caliber of case a contested paternity matter in Fort Bend County demands.
Paula Roark Cundiff
Senior Partner
Paula’s practice centers on high-conflict divorce, complex custody litigation, and CPS defense, giving Sugar Land parents an advocate who has already handled the hardest version of a custody fight.
Caryn Gomar
Managing Attorney
Caryn spent her early career prosecuting protective order and CPS cases, and she brings that same safety-first instinct to family law now, an asset for Fort Bend County clients whose case involves conflict or a child’s safety.
Richard Lybarger
Senior Associate Attorney
A litigator with four decades of experience and a background in real estate and accounting, Richard has a rare eye for untangling complex property division and financial disclosures, exactly the fluency Sugar Land clients need when significant assets are on the line.
Lourel Jones
Associate Attorney
Lourel built his early career in criminal law, from a felony prosecution clinic to the Harris County District Attorney’s Office, and he brings that same case-building discipline, witness interviews, negotiation, trial prep, to the family law matters he handles for clients here.
Sarah Williams
Family Law Attorney
A University of Houston Law Center graduate who practiced divorce, custody, and child support as a solo attorney before joining the firm, Sarah pairs a research-grounded, client-direct approach with probate and estate planning skill for Fort Bend County families.
Why Sugar Land Families Choose Scott M. Brown & Associates
Fathers in Texas who have not legally established paternity have no enforceable parental rights, regardless of how involved they have been in the child’s life. We see this situation regularly, and we see how quickly it becomes urgent when a relationship deteriorates or a mother plans to relocate. Moving promptly to establish paternity protects your relationship with your child in a way that nothing else does.
For mothers, an Acknowledgment of Paternity signed at the hospital is a starting point, not a complete solution. It does not by itself create a custody order or an enforceable support obligation. We help mothers in Fort Bend County turn that acknowledgment into a court order that defines the child’s schedule and the father’s financial obligations.
Contested paternity cases require careful handling. If you have reason to question whether a presumed father is the biological father, or if you are a man being held responsible for a child you believe is not yours, the legal process is time-sensitive. Texas law has specific windows for challenging a paternity determination.
We handle the full picture. Establishing paternity is often just the first step. Custody, possession, and child support follow immediately. Our team handles all of it in Fort Bend County so that once paternity is determined, the rest of the legal framework is put in place without delay.
No assumptions about the outcome of genetic testing or the court’s determinations. A commitment to making your case as strong as it can be at every stage. Our published case results reflect what that approach produces for the families we represent.
Ready to talk? Call +1 281-393-4184 or schedule a confidential consultation.
What to Expect When You Call
Our paternity consultation is focused on your specific situation:
- We establish what has and has not been legally determined. Birth certificate, Acknowledgment of Paternity, prior court orders, or nothing at all. Where you are starting from shapes everything.
- We explain your rights and your options under Texas law. Including the process, the timeline, and what happens to custody and support once paternity is established.
- We tell you exactly what to do next. Filing a paternity suit, responding to one, or challenging an existing determination. You leave with a clear direction.
Frequently Asked Questions
How is paternity established in Fort Bend County?
What parental rights does an unmarried father in Sugar Land have before paternity is established?
Can an existing paternity determination be challenged in Fort Bend County?
Talk to a Sugar Land Paternity Attorney
We know the Fort Bend County courts, we know the kind of paternity case you are facing, and we will tell you the truth about your options before you commit to anything. Scott M. Brown & Associates has represented Fort Bend County families for more than two decades, with board-certified Texas family law attorneys with decades of combined courtroom experience. We serve clients from four Texas locations, and we will make sure you are working with the right attorney for your case.
Call +1 281-393-4184 or schedule a consultation online. We will match you with the right attorney on our Sugar Land team and get you a clear first step.
