Legal Aid of NORTHWEST Texas as a grantee of the Office of Attorney General Access and Visitation Program operates a new telephone hotline and sponsors a self help web site to provide easy, state-wide access for non-custodial parents, and interested parties who do not have access to legal counsel, to basic legal information, education, and resources addressing the following issues:

• Access, visitation, and custody;
• Paternity establishment; and
• The child support order process.

The services provided will include 5-day per week, 3-hour per day telephone access to attorneys who will answer questions; and web based and hard copy resources for pro se filings in child support or custody matters including sample legal forms; sample responses to law suits; and basic instruction for completing and filing child support related forms.

Calls will be answered in English and Spanish by attorneys who will provide information to non-custodial and custodial parents about their rights, gaining access and visitation to their children, establishing paternity, child support orders, child support modification, and mediation. Callers will also have access to a website with downloadable forms and samples in English and Spanish. Some non-legal forms including parent letters to request compliance with orders, visitation logs, and other appropriate forms will also be available. Individuals can also request phone support to fill out forms. Hard copies of some forms will be faxed or mailed upon request.

Additionally, callers will be referred to appropriate state and local organizations that provide mediation services, access and visitation services, and further legal aid. The phone number is 1-866-292-4636 (toll free). The web site address is www.txaccess.org.