Resources
NOTICE: All Travis County CPS Court hearings are now occuring in-person at the NEW Travis County Civil and Family Courts Facility.
Request a Lawyer
For Parents Involved in a Travis County CPS Case
NOTICE TO PARENTS
If you are a parent involved in a lawsuit with Child Protective Services, you have a right to be represented by an attorney in your case. If you believe your income is not enough to pay for your own attorney, you may qualify for a court-appointed attorney. To request a court-appointed attorney for your CPS case, please complete and return the following form to your court:
Completed Requests can be emailed to: CPS.Submissiondocket@traviscountytx.gov
For questions call: (512) 854-5965
COURT APPOINTED ATTORNEYS
Parents and children involved in a lawsuit with Child Protective Services have a right to be represented by an attorney in their case. If those parents financially qualify for Court Appointed Attorneys, they will receive an attorney through the Court Appointment System for full representation. All parents named in a Travis County CPS lawsuit, who have not already hired an attorney or are otherwise disqualified, will receive a conditionally appointed attorney at the beginning of the lawsuit to assist in determining if that parent financially qualifies for a court appointed attorney and desires to have an attorney represent them in the lawsuit. All children receive court appointed attorneys. The Court appoints attorneys from the Travis County Office of Parental Representation, the Travis County Office of Child Representation, The University of Texas School of Law Children's Rights Clinic, and private practice attorneys on the Court's appointment list.
“The Travis County Office of Parental Representation (OPR) provides a voice for indigent, primary parents who have had their children removed or are at risk of having their children removed by The Texas Department of Family and Protective Services due to allegations of abuse/neglect. Our office can provide parents and families of origin with early, competent, zealous and consistent legal representation and support/case management services.”
Phone: (512) 854-7305
“The Office of Child Representation provides legal representation and case management for children who are involved in Child Protective Services cases. Our office works as a team to effectively represent our clients’ legal interests and serves as a resource for our community on topics related to child welfare law.”
Phone: (512) 854-7312
Children's Rights Clinic: "Students represent children in Travis County District Court as student attorneys ad litem in cases in which the state seeks custody or termination of parental rights based on allegations of abuse and neglect. Although the supervising attorneys sign pleadings drafted by the students and accompany the students to formal proceedings, the student attorneys sit “first chair” at hearings, depositions, mediations, and trial appearances, and they research and prepare cases as the primary attorneys."
Phone: (512) 232-1290
Private practice attorneys, who are primarily members of the Court Appointed Family Advocates (CAFA) section of the Austin Bar Association, also receive Court appointments to represent parents and children in Travis County CPS cases. The Lawyer Referral Service of Central Texas maintains a list of these attorneys willing to accept CPS cases.
Lawyer Referral Service: (512) 472-1311