SAPCR

Suit Affecting the Parent-Child Relationship

If you have had a child out of wedlock and need to formalize custody and child support arrangements, or if you need to change existing orders to reflect a change in circumstance, we have legal services to help you.

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Lauren Jay Carrington Smyth

Born in San Antonio, qualified in Texas, D.C., England and Wales, Lauren Smyth worked as a Senior Attorney and Vice President in leading big City firms and Fortune 500 Companies before moving back to Texas to set up her family law firm.

FAQ

A Suit Affecting a Parent-Child Relationship (“SAPCR”) is a document that sets out the terms of the child or children’s care.
 
It covers:
 
• Visitation
• Conservatorship
• Healthcare
• Child-Support and Day-Care Expenses
• Geographic Restrictions
• Extracurricular Activities
• Passports and Travel
• Tax Credits
• Rights and Duties
 
Once signed by both conservators and a judge, it becomes a court order and is enforceable.
It depends.
 
Uncontested SAPCR
 
If both conservators can agree to the terms of the SAPCR without the need for a legal battle, then we can work with you to prepare the legal documents and may attend the final orders hearing on your behalf, if needed.
 
Contested SAPCR​​​​​​​
 
If you and the other conservator can’t agree on the terms of the SAPCR, then you will likely need our legal services for a Contested SAPCR. In this case, you will almost certainly be required to turn up to court for a wide variety of hearings depending on your circumstance.

The law firm offers a range of both uncontested and contested legal services for SAPCRs.

Uncontested – where both parents agree to the terms of the SAPCR, we offer more affordable and streamlined options starting from $500 for just the documents, up to $1,050 + court fees if you want the law firm to handle the entire process for you.*

*If you have existing child support orders, we will charge $500 for an additional hour of legal services to consolidate the case and liaise with the Attorney General.

Contested – Given the unpredictable nature of contested matters, we can’t put a fixed price on the amount of legal services you may need.

 We start with a $7,000 retainer for up to fourteen (14) hours of legal services and offer payment plans to help fit your personal circumstances.

In the state of Texas, no one is required to pay child support by default. However, the courts will look to ensure that, absent of agreement, the best interests of each child are best served by having one party pay child support in an amount equal to the Texas child support guidelines. 

It is possible to agree not to pay child support, especially when the parties share each child for an equal amount of time. 

You can use the child support calculator on the Attorney General’s website to estimate how much you or the other parent are expected to pay under the guidelines.

In addition, at least one party will be required to pay for each child’s medical and dental insurance or enroll in a government health program if eligible (Medicaid, STAR).

Unless you and the other conservator agree to abide by the child’s wishes, then an application will need to be made for the child to confer with a judge.
 
It is worth noting that, in general, the courts tend not to split children up from their siblings absent unique circumstances.
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