Tex. Fam. Code § 160.201-160.204

TEXAS FAMILY CODE Chapter 160, Subchapter C — PARENT-CHILD RELATIONSHIP CHAPTER 160 • UNIFORM PARENTAGE ACT Subchapter C: PARENT-CHILD RELATIONSHIP Sec. 160.201. ESTABLISHMENT OF PARENT-CHILD RELATIONSHIP. (a) The mother-child relationship is established between a woman and a child by: (1) the woman giving birth to the child; (2) an adjudication of the woman's maternity; or (3) the adoption of the child by the woman. (b) The father-child relationship is established between a man and a child by: (1) an unrebutted presumption of the man's paternity of the child under Section 160.204; (2) an effective acknowledgment of paternity by the man under Subchapter D, unless the acknowledgment has been rescinded or successfully challenged; (3) an adjudication of the man's paternity; (4) the adoption of the child by the man; or (5) the man's consenting to assisted reproduction by his wife under Subchapter H, which resulted in the birth of the child. Amended by Acts 2001, 77th Leg., ch. 821, Sec. 1.01, eff. June 14, 2001. Sec. 160.202. NO DISCRIMINATION BASED ON MARITAL STATUS. A child born to parents who are not married to each other has the same rights under the law as a child born to parents who are married to each other. Amended by Acts 2001, 77th Leg., ch. 821, Sec. 1.01, eff. June 14, 2001. Sec. 160.203. CONSEQUENCES OF ESTABLISHMENT OF PARENTAGE. Unless parental rights are terminated, a parent-child relationship established under this chapter applies for all purposes, except as otherwise provided by another law of this state. Amended by Acts 2001, 77th Leg., ch. 821, Sec. 1.01, eff. June 14, 2001. Sec. 160.204. PRESUMPTION OF PATERNITY. (a) A man is presumed to be the father of a child if: (1) he is married to the mother of the child and the child is born during the marriage; (2) he is married to the mother of the child and t ) A man is presumed to be the father of a child if: (1) he is married to the mother of the child and the child is born during the marriage; (2) he is married to the mother of the child and the child is born before the 301st day after the date the marriage is terminated by death, annulment, declaration of invalidity, or divorce; (3) he married the mother of the child before the birth of the child in apparent compliance with law, even if the attempted marriage is or could be declared invalid, and the child is born during the invalid marriage or before the 301st day after the date the marriage is terminated by death, annulment, declaration of invalidity, or divorce; (4) he married the mother of the child after the birth of the child in apparent compliance with law, regardless of whether the marriage is or could be declared invalid, he voluntarily asserted his paternity of the child, and: (A) the assertion is in a record filed with the vital statistics unit; (B) he is voluntarily named as the child's father on the child's birth certificate; or (C) he promised in a record to support the child as his own; or (5) during the first two years of the child's life, he continuously resided in the household in which the child resided and he represented to others that the child was his own. Source: Texas Legislature Online (89th Leg., 2nd Called Sess., 2025) Page 1 --- TEXAS FAMILY CODE Chapter 160, Subchapter C — PARENT-CHILD RELATIONSHIP (b) A presumption of paternity established under this section may be rebutted only by: (1) an adjudication under Subchapter G; or (2) the filing of a valid denial of paternity by a presumed father in conjunction with the filing by another person of a valid acknowledgment of paternity as provided by Section 160.305. Amended by Acts 2001, 77th Leg., ch. 821, Sec. 1.01, eff. June 14, 2001; Acts 2003, 78th Leg., ch. 610, Sec. 10, eff. Sept. 1, 2003; Acts 2003 owledgment of paternity as provided by Section 160.305. Amended by Acts 2001, 77th Leg., ch. 821, Sec. 1.01, eff. June 14, 2001; Acts 2003, 78th Leg., ch. 610, Sec. 10, eff. Sept. 1, 2003; Acts 2003, 78th Leg., ch. 1248, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 2003. Amended by: Acts 2015, 84th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1 (S.B. 219), Sec. 1.055, eff. April 2, 2015. Source: Texas Legislature Online (89th Leg., 2nd Called Sess., 2025) Page 2