Pro Se Templates & Forms

Free downloadable templates for Texas family court

Document Templates

Sample templates to help you draft your own pleadings. Always verify current requirements with your local district clerk.

Important Disclaimer

These templates are for educational purposes only. They are not legal advice and may need modification for your specific situation. Court requirements vary by county. Always check with your local district clerk for current formatting and filing requirements.

Pro Se Appearance Form

Notify the court that you are representing yourself. Required when appearing without an attorney.

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Original SAPCR Petition

Template for initiating a Suit Affecting the Parent-Child Relationship to establish custody, visitation, or support.

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General Affidavit

Sworn statement template for presenting facts to the court. Use for supporting motions and petitions.

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Bill of Review Petition

Template for challenging a default judgment obtained through improper service or fraud.

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Certificate of Service

Required when serving documents on the opposing party. Proves you provided proper notice.

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Affidavit of Indigence

Request waiver of filing fees if you cannot afford them. Per Texas Rule 145.

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CAUSE NO. _______________ IN THE INTEREST OF § IN THE DISTRICT COURT § ________________________, § __________ COUNTY, TEXAS A CHILD § § _____ JUDICIAL DISTRICT ORIGINAL PETITION IN SUIT AFFECTING THE PARENT-CHILD RELATIONSHIP TO THE HONORABLE COURT: COMES NOW _________________________ ("Petitioner"), and files this Original Petition in Suit Affecting the Parent-Child Relationship and would respectfully show the Court as follows: I. DISCOVERY LEVEL Discovery in this case is intended to be conducted under Level 2 of Texas Rule of Civil Procedure 190.3. II. PARTIES Petitioner is an individual residing in __________ County, Texas. Respondent is _________________________, an individual whose last known address is _________________________. III. JURISDICTION AND VENUE No court has continuing, exclusive jurisdiction of this suit. This Court has jurisdiction because the child who is the subject of this suit resides in __________ County, Texas. Venue is proper in __________ County, Texas because this county is the county of residence of the child. IV. CHILD The following child is the subject of this suit: Name: _________________________ Sex: _________________________ Date of Birth: _________________________ Current Residence: _________________________ No property is owned or possessed by the child. V. CONSERVATORSHIP Petitioner requests that: [ ] Petitioner be appointed Sole Managing Conservator [ ] The parties be appointed Joint Managing Conservators with Petitioner having the exclusive right to designate the primary residence of the child [ ] Respondent be appointed Possessory Conservator VI. POSSESSION AND ACCESS Petitioner requests that the Court order a possession schedule in accordance with the Standard Possession Order as set forth in Texas Family Code Chapter 153. VII. CHILD SUPPORT Petitioner requests that Respondent be ordered to pay child support in accordance with the guidelines set forth in Texas Family Code Chapter 154. VIII. PRAYER WHEREFORE, PREMISES CONSIDERED, Petitioner prays that: 1. Citation issue as required by law; 2. The Court grant the relief requested above; 3. The Court grant such other relief as is just and proper. Respectfully submitted, _________________________________ [Your Full Legal Name] Pro Se Petitioner [Address] [City, State ZIP] [Phone] [Email]

CAUSE NO. _______________ IN THE INTEREST OF § IN THE DISTRICT COURT § ________________________, § __________ COUNTY, TEXAS A CHILD § § _____ JUDICIAL DISTRICT PETITION FOR BILL OF REVIEW TO THE HONORABLE COURT: COMES NOW _________________________ ("Petitioner"), and files this Petition for Bill of Review seeking to set aside the judgment signed on _____________, 20___ in Cause No. _________________, and respectfully shows the Court: I. BACKGROUND 1. On _____________, 20___, a default judgment was signed in Cause No. _________________ styled _________________________. 2. Petitioner was named as Respondent in that case. 3. Petitioner did not appear or answer in that case because Petitioner was not properly served with citation. II. GROUNDS FOR BILL OF REVIEW Petitioner is entitled to a Bill of Review because Petitioner can demonstrate all three required elements: A. MERITORIOUS DEFENSE 4. Petitioner has a meritorious defense to the claims in the original suit. Specifically: ________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ B. PREVENTED BY FRAUD, ACCIDENT, OR WRONGFUL ACT 5. Petitioner was prevented from presenting this defense by the fraud, accident, or wrongful act of the opposing party. 6. Specifically, Petitioner was not properly served because: [ ] The citation was served at the wrong address [ ] The Certificate of Last Known Address was false [ ] Service by publication was improper because personal service was possible [ ] Other: ________________________________________________ 7. [Describe the specific facts showing improper service] ___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ C. NO FAULT OR NEGLIGENCE 8. The failure to appear was not due to Petitioner's own fault or negligence. Petitioner did not receive actual notice of the lawsuit and had no reason to know the suit was pending. III. REQUEST FOR RELIEF 9. Petitioner requests that the Court: a. Set aside the default judgment; b. Allow Petitioner to file an answer; c. Set this matter for trial on the merits; and d. Grant such other relief as is just. IV. PRAYER WHEREFORE, PREMISES CONSIDERED, Petitioner prays that: 1. The Court grant this Petition for Bill of Review; 2. The default judgment be set aside; 3. Petitioner be allowed to answer and defend; and 4. The Court grant such other relief as is just and proper. Respectfully submitted, _________________________________ [Your Full Legal Name] Pro Se Petitioner [Address] [City, State ZIP] [Phone] [Email] VERIFICATION STATE OF TEXAS § COUNTY OF __________ § BEFORE ME, the undersigned notary public, on this day personally appeared _________________________, known to me, who stated under oath that the facts in this petition are true and correct to the best of their knowledge and belief. _________________________________ Affiant SUBSCRIBED AND SWORN TO before me on _____________, 20___. _________________________________ Notary Public, State of Texas

Understanding Bill of Review Procedure

Important: A Bill of Review is a NEW Case

When you file a Bill of Review, you are initiating a completely new lawsuit. The court will assign it a new cause number. Do NOT use the original SAPCR case number on your Bill of Review petition—that case is closed. Your Bill of Review is an independent equitable action to attack the prior judgment. The clerk will assign a new cause number when you file.

New Case, New Number

Your Bill of Review petition starts fresh. While you'll reference the original case number in the body of your petition (to identify what judgment you're attacking), the Bill of Review itself gets its own distinct cause number. Think of it as "Case B" suing to undo "Case A."

Who Are the Parties?

In the Bill of Review, you are the Petitioner. The person who obtained the default judgment against you is the Respondent/Defendant. The party positions may be reversed from the original SAPCR.

Where to File

File your Bill of Review in the same court that rendered the original judgment. While it's a new case, that court retains jurisdiction to review and set aside its own prior orders.

Evidence Requirements for Family Court

Courts require admissible evidence to support your claims. Here's what you need to know about gathering and presenting evidence.

Key Principle: Objective Evidence from Independent Sources

Courts give the most weight to evidence from independent, objective sources—not your own statements or those of friends and family. Evidence that comes from neutral third parties or verifiable records is far more persuasive than "he said/she said" testimony.

Strong Evidence Sources

Official court records and transcripts
Business records (phone bills, bank statements)
Medical records from healthcare providers
School records and attendance logs
Police reports and incident reports
Process server affidavits and GPS logs
Certified mail receipts from USPS
Property records and tax assessor data

Weaker Evidence (Still Useful)

Your own testimony (less weight without corroboration)
Statements from family members (perceived as biased)
Undated photos without metadata
Unsigned letters or documents
Social media posts (can be edited/faked)

These can support your case but work best when combined with objective evidence.

Documentation Best Practices

Get certified copies of official records
Preserve original documents, file copies with court
Photograph documents with timestamps visible
Create a chronological evidence log
Organize by date and topic for easy reference
Keep backups in multiple locations

Authenticating Phone & Text Evidence

Text messages and phone records can be powerful evidence—but only if properly authenticated for court.

Why Authentication Matters

Screenshots alone are often challenged as unreliable—they can be easily edited or fabricated. Courts may reject text message evidence if you cannot prove its authenticity. Proper authentication creates a verifiable chain of evidence.

iMessage & iPhone Users

Best methods to authenticate:

Screen recording: Record yourself scrolling through actual messages on your device
Message details: Show delivery/read receipts (blue bubbles = iMessage)
Contact info: Show the contact card with phone number visible
iCloud backup: Your messages are backed up with timestamps
Export data: Request your data from Apple (privacy.apple.com)

Android & Other Phones

Authentication methods:

Screen recording: Use built-in recorder or app
Phone records: Carrier bills show timestamps of SMS
Google Takeout: Export message data with metadata
Message backup apps: SMS Backup+ or similar creates logs
Carrier records: Subpoena detailed text records if needed

Apps for Authentication

Third-party apps that help:

iMazing – Exports iPhone messages with full metadata
Decipher TextMessage – Creates PDF reports of texts
SMS Backup & Restore – Android backup with timestamps
Cellebrite – Professional forensic extraction (expensive)

Tip: Exports with metadata are more credible than screenshots.

WhatsApp, Facebook, etc.

Other messaging platforms:

WhatsApp: Export chat feature creates text file with timestamps
Facebook: Download your data (settings > your information)
Instagram: Request data download includes DMs
Email: Headers contain routing/timestamp metadata

Best Practice for Court

Create an affidavit authenticating your text evidence. State that you are the owner of the phone, the messages are true and unaltered, and describe how you extracted/preserved them. Attach the evidence as exhibits to your affidavit. This creates a sworn record that the evidence is authentic.

Notary Services

Many court documents require notarization. You have options for getting documents notarized.

Remote Online Notarization

Texas law allows Remote Online Notarization (RON). You can get documents notarized from home via video call.

Recommended Service:

Notarize.com

Available 24/7. Costs around $25 per document. Valid in all 50 states.

In-Person Notary Options

Banks: Many banks offer free notary for customers
UPS Store: Walk-in notary services (~$10-15)
FedEx Office: Notary available at most locations
County Clerk: Some offer notary services
AAA: Free for members at some locations
Law libraries: Some courthouse libraries have notaries

What to Bring

Valid government-issued ID (driver's license, passport)
Unsigned document – sign in front of notary
Payment – cash or card depending on location

Important: Do NOT sign the document before meeting with the notary. You must sign in their presence.

Texas eFiling: TOGA & eFileTexas

All Texas courts require electronic filing. Here's what you need to know:

What is TOGA?

Texas Online Government Access (TOGA) is the state's identity verification system. You need a TOGA account to access Texas.gov services including eFiling.

To create a TOGA account:

Go to texas.gov
Click "Sign In" then "Create Account"
Provide your email, create password
Verify your identity (driver's license or state ID)
Complete two-factor authentication setup

What is eFileTexas?

eFileTexas.gov is the mandatory electronic filing system for all Texas courts. Powered by Tyler Technologies.

To file documents:

Go to eFileTexas.gov
Sign in with your TOGA credentials
Select your county and court
Choose filing type (new case or existing)
Upload PDF documents
Pay filing fees (or request waiver)
Submit and receive confirmation

Tyler Technologies

Tyler Technologies operates the eFileTexas system. Some courts use Tyler's Odyssey case management system.

Key tips:

Documents must be PDF format
Maximum file size: 35MB per document
Use searchable/text PDFs when possible
Proposed orders should be in Word format
Keep confirmation emails as proof of filing

Fee Waiver for Pro Se

If you cannot afford filing fees, you can request a waiver:

Prepare Affidavit of Indigence (see template above)
During checkout on eFileTexas, select "Waiver Requested"
Upload your Affidavit of Indigence
The court will review and approve/deny
If denied, you have 10 days to pay or contest

Need Help with eFiling?

eFileTexas Support: 1-855-839-3453 (toll-free)

Hours: Monday-Friday, 7am-9pm CT

Email: efiletexas.support@tylertech.com

Many county law libraries also offer free assistance with eFiling for pro se litigants.

Additional Resources

Texas Courts - Official Forms

Official court-approved forms from the Texas Judicial Branch.

Visit txcourts.gov

Texas Law Help

Free legal information and resources for Texans.

Visit TexasLawHelp.org

SAFE SAPCR Texas

Fighting service fraud in Texas custody cases.

Visit safesapcrtx.org