This guide provides an overview of Texas statutes and other resources available in the library and online on the topic of termination of parental rights. When this process is voluntary, it is often referred to as "relinquishment." A court can also order termination of rights which is involuntary. This is a necessary step before the child can be adopted by another parent.
Chapter 161 of the Texas Family Code governs procedures for both voluntary and involuntary termination of the parent-child relationship.
Because Texas and federal law may not be easy to understand, below you'll find a collection of resources that help to explain the law in simple terms.
We are often asked for forms for filing a general termination of parental rights case. We are not aware of any online forms for a general termination case, but there may be some online forms for related procedures.
There are no official forms for a general termination of parental rights case, but the library has drafting guides with sample forms and instructions on this procedure.
Some of these titles can be checked out remotely by Texas residents with a current library account. To sign up for an account, see our Get a Library Account page.
