Legal Question in Family Law in Texas

My stepson's mother passed away this summer and I am being told that we will have to hire an attorney and file for custody of him. Is this correct? We live in Texas and he is with us now. I cannot get him registered for school without custody papers and I am being told I need the death certificate which I will not be able to get for 12 weeks! What can I do myself to get this taken care of?


Asked on 7/16/12, 2:21 pm

1 Answer from Attorneys

Robert Perez Perez Law Office, PLLC

Assuming that you are living with the child's father, in order to obtain legal custody, you and your husband will need to file a Suit Affecting the Parent-Child Relationship (SAPCR) seeking a court order making your husband Sole Managing Conservator.

You can either hire an attorney to handle this for you, or you can do it yourself - if you don't expect anyone to challenge you for custody. You can find the required form for a SAPCR petition on line and file it with the appropriate court - preferably the same court that handled the original custody order. There are also attorneys (myself included) who offer the required paperwork for a Petition to Modify the Parent-Child Relationship online, along with legal advice, for a fixed fee.

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Answered on 7/16/12, 2:58 pm


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