About Legal Forms

Official Forms

In general, Texas has very few official legal forms. This is why you will not always find a free fill-in-the-blank form for your situation.

You may be able to draft your own custom form by using a form template or drafting guide.

Where can I find forms?

Court Websites. If there is an official form for a legal procedure, it is usually found on the court's or court clerk's website. We link to many in our guides.
Law Libraries. The library has many books and e-books with templates for legal forms. Texas residents can access e-books with a free library account or check out print titles from our Austin location. You can also visit a law library near you.
A Lawyer. A lawyer can help create an appropriate form for your situation. To find an attorney, see our Find a Lawyer and Legal Help guides.

Online Forms

For more on Texas child custody and support laws, see our Child Custody & Support guide.

Establish Custody, Visitation, or Child Support

Child Support Forms from the Texas Attorney General's Office
The Texas Attorney General's office provides some legal forms related to child support on their website including complaint forms and income withholding forms.
I need a custody order. I am the child's parent (SAPCR).
These TexasLawHelp.org forms ask the court to establish custody and visitation orders for a child. The forms linked here are for the child's parent who would like to file a SAPCR case that is not part of a divorce. Paternity of the child must already have been established. There are forms for both an original suit and a response.
I need a custody order. I am not the child's parent (SAPCR).
These TexasLawHelp.org forms ask the court to establish custody and visitation orders for a child. The forms linked here are for a person who is not the child's parent. Paternity of the child must already have been established. There are forms for both an original suit and a response.
Service by Publication (TexasLawHelp.org)
Tell the judge that you want to serve the other parent by publishing in a newspaper because you cannot find the other parent.
Answer — Family Law Case (TexasLawHelp.org)
Respond to a law suit in a family law case. Forms are available for custody (SAPCR), divorce, paternity, modification, and name change situations.

Appear in Court Remotely

I want to appear in family court remotely (TexasLawHelp.org)
Ask the court to appear at your family law hearing remotely, by video or over the phone.

Paternity

Paternity (TexasLawHelp.org)
Ask for a paternity order that says who is (or who is not) a child’s legal father.
Paternity and Parentage Forms (Texas Vital Statistics)
Forms related to establishing paternity including amending a child's birth certificate base on newly established paternity.
Termination of Parental Rights — Mistaken Paternity (TexasLawHelp.org)
This guide from Texas Law Help includes forms and instructions for filing a case to terminate parental rights based on mistaken paternity.

Authorization Agreements, etc.

Temporary Authorization for Care of Minor Child (TexasLawHelp.org)
This guide form allows you to request temporary authorization for the care of a minor child by a nonparent caregiver if you do not have written authorization from the child's parent, guardian, or conservator.
Consent to Medical Treatment by Non-Parent (TexasLawHelp.org)
Allow certain non-parents to consent to medical, dental, psychological, and surgical treatment of a child.
Authorization Agreement for Nonparent Adult Caregiver (TexasLawHelp.org)
Ask a judge for permission to sign a written Authorization Agreement for Nonparent Adult Caregiver.
Authorization Agreement for Non-Parent Relative — Form 2638 (Department of Family and Protective Services)
Appoint a caregiver for your child. Allows parents and other specified relatives to permit a designated adult to take certain actions and obtain services on behalf of the child. For more information see TexasLawHelp.org's FAQs on this topic. Note that this link will automatically download the form.

Modify Custody, Visitation, or Child Support

Modification Kit (TexasLawHelp.org)
Request to change a court order for child custody, visitation, and support.
Modification Response Kit (TexasLawHelp.org)
If the child's other parent has filed a suit to modify a support, visitation, or custody order, you will need to respond. This toolkit from Texas Law Help contains instructions and forms for responding to a modification suit.
Stop Child Support Withholding (TexasLawHelp.org)
Stop income withholding for child support when the child support obligation has ended or the parties have reached an agreement for child support to stop and the parties have filed a modification case.
Child Support Administrative Review (Texas Attorney General's Office)
Contest a claim of past-due child support and request a review of your case or request an Administrative Review hearing to resolve disputed issues concerning distribution of child support payments.

Enforce Visitation or Possession

I want to file a Motion to Enforce Visitation. (TexasLawHelp.org)
Enforce your visitation rights through the courts.
Habeas Corpus Guide (TexasLawHelp.org)
This guide includes sample forms and instructions for a habeas corpus proceeding in order to enforce a superior right of possession to a child.

Temporary Restraining Orders & Injunctions in Child Custody Emergencies

Temporary Restraining Orders, Temporary Injunctions, and Temporary Orders in Child Custody Emergencies Toolkit (TexasLawHelp.org)
This toolkit from Texas Law Help contains instructions and forms for getting a temporary restraining order, temporary injunction, and temporary orders in a child custody emergency.

Adoption

Adult Adoption (TexasLawHelp.org)
Forms and instructions for adopting an adult person in Texas.

Register an Out-of-State Custody Order

Register an out-of-state custody order in Texas (TexasLawHelp.org)
This guide includes forms and instructions for a letter and affidavit to request that the court register an out-of-state custody order in Texas.

Termination of Parental Rights

Note: We are often asked for forms for filing a general termination of parental rights case. We are not aware of general online forms for this procedure, but we do have drafting guides with form templates and instructions in our collection. Please see the Termination of Parental Rights guide for more info.

Termination of Parental Rights — Mistaken Paternity (TexasLawHelp.org)
This guide from Texas Law Help includes forms and instructions for filing a case to terminate parental rights based on mistaken paternity.
Reinstatement of Parental Rights (TexasLawHelp.org)
Ask the court to reinstate your parental rights after they were terminated by the Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS).

Cyberbullying

Sworn Application & Petition to Stop Cyberbullying (TexasLawHelp.org)
Ask the court to issue a restraining order or injunction to stop a person from cyberbullying a person under the age of 18.

Books & E-Books

E-Books

Many e-books contain forms or drafting guides. Texas residents can access e-books with a free library account.

Texas family law practice and procedure
This multivolume set covers conservatorship, guardianship, premarital agreements, divorce, custody, spousal support, temporary orders, termination of parental rights, adoption, and more. Includes drafting guides for legal forms.
Texas family law practice manual
This State Bar of Texas manual has practice notes about the most common types of family law actions including divorce, custody, child support, parental rights termination, and adoption.
Texas family law practice manual : forms
This volume from the State Bar of Texas is a companion to the Practice Notes. It contains form templates and drafting guides for many common family law actions.
Building a parenting agreement that works : child custody agreements step-by-step
Nolo’s guide to creating a co-parenting agreement provides information, worksheets, and a fill-in-the-blank parenting agreement to assist divorcing couples in making a fair and lasting child custody agreement. The mediation-based strategies contained in this book will help minimize conflict in resolving issues such as health care, education, and living arrangements.
Law forms for personal use
This e-book from Nolo Press offers a variety of downloadable, editable legal forms for everyday situations such as borrowing & lending money, delegating authority to care for children or pets, buying & selling property, handling personal finances, and many more common situations.