Parents of a child have rights and duties with respect to the care and upbringing of the child. Laws vary from state to state, but most states’ laws provide that a parent is liable to a third party that provides their unemancipated child with so-called necessaries for the child’s support—such as clothing, food, shelter, medical and dental care, and education.
A parent of an unemancipated child generally has the following rights and duties:
• the right to have physical possession, to direct the moral and religious training, and to designate the residence of the child;
• the duty of care, control, protection, and reasonable discipline of the child;
• the duty to support the child, including providing the child with clothing, food, shelter, medical and dental care, and education;
• the duty, except when a guardian of the child's estate has been appointed, to manage the estate of the child, including the right as an agent of the child to act in relation to the child's estate if the child's action is required by a state, the United States, or a foreign government;
• with some exceptions, the right to the services and earnings of the child;
• the right to consent to the child's marriage, enlistment in the armed forces of the United States, medical and dental care, and psychiatric, psychological, and surgical treatment;
• the right to represent the child in legal action and to make other decisions of substantial legal significance concerning the child;
• the right to receive and give receipt for payments for the support of the child and to hold or disburse funds for the benefit of the child;
• the right to inherit from and through the child;
• the right to make decisions concerning the child's education; and
• any other right or duty existing between a parent and child by virtue of law.
Some states place restrictions on who may use corporal (physical) punishment for the discipline of a child, limiting it to the following persons, for example:
• a parent or grandparent of the child;
• a stepparent of the child who has the duty of control and reasonable discipline of the child; and
• an individual who is a guardian of the child and who has the duty of control and reasonable discipline of the child.
The rights and duties of a parent are subject to:
• a court order affecting the rights and duties;
• an affidavit of relinquishment of parental rights; and
• an affidavit by the parent designating another person or agency to act as managing conservator of the child.
The laws governing a parent’s rights and duties are usually located in a state’s statutes—often in the family code or domestic relations code.
In Texas, parents have a set of legal rights and responsibilities regarding their minor children as outlined in the Texas Family Code. These rights include custody of the child, providing moral and religious guidance, and determining the child's primary residence. Parents are also obligated to care for, discipline, support, and educate their children. Additionally, parents typically manage their child's estate unless a court appoints a guardian, and they have rights to the child's earnings. Parents in Texas are authorized to make significant legal and medical decisions on behalf of their minor children. Texas law allows for the use of corporal punishment by parents as a form of discipline, provided it does not constitute abuse or neglect. Parental rights and responsibilities can be modified by court orders, such as in the case of divorce or child custody disputes, by the voluntary relinquishment of parental rights, or by appointing another person as a conservator or guardian. It is important to note that while parents have these rights, they also have the duty to not harm the child and to act in the child's best interests. Violations of these duties can lead to legal consequences, including the potential for Child Protective Services intervention.
