Legal Question in Family Law in Texas

Legal forms, and petitions.

A book called ''your right to child custody and visitation and support,'' informed me greatly. In the back of the book there are legal forms (i.e. Petition to establish paternity, custody and time-sharing, and for child support.'' Are these forms valid if I printed and filled them out properly, and took them to the Family Law court house? Or, do I have to get these papers/forms exclusively from the courthouse? The reason I ask is because the mother of my child moved away w/o leaving me a name or number or an address, and my visitation was ''mutually agreed upon,'' so i'm inclined to petition the court to modify the decree, since she no longer provides me access to the child. thank you .


Asked on 5/27/03, 5:11 pm

2 Answers from Attorneys
Fran Brochstein Attorney & Mediator

Re: Legal forms, and petitions.

Good question!

The courthouse does not provide you with forms.

You have to go to any local law library and prepare the forms.

The Texas Family Law Practice Manual is an excellent resource.

There are many other books that contain forms. I would only use ones based on Texas law since family law issues (divorce, custody, etc.) are based on laws adopted by the State of Texas.

I am unfamiliar with the book you referenced, therefore, I will not give my opinion regarding their forms.

Good luck!

Fran Brochstein

www.familylaw4u.com

713-847-6000

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Answered on 5/27/03, 5:19 pm
Jean Sudduth Jean Sudduth, Attorney at law

Re: Legal forms, and petitions.

I have not seen the book you have purchased. It may be good or not. I will tell you, you always have the right to represt yourself. I have the right to fix my own car. Since my car is making funny noises, I know it needs to be checked out. I will pass and leave it to the mechanic. I know that I am smart enough to do it but I am uneducated in that field. I will leave you with 2 pieces of advice, call your local bar and ask for a referral, the cost is somewhere between $20-50. If you cannot afford even that, try your local low income legal services or the office of the Texas attorney general. I will assure you that I love cases where the other side did not hire an attorney. Even if they have studied I suspect it is like me against a trained mechanic in a race to change the oil. The person with the most experience and training usually wins. Good Luck.

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Answered on 5/27/03, 11:51 pm


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