It is an acronym for Suit Affecting the Parent-Child Relationship. Case: A legal process that allows a parent, guardian or a government agency to ask the court for an order on child support, custody, visitation other parental rights and responsibilities if there are no divorce proceedings.
In a SAPCR, the court is to focus on the best interest of the child (or children), considering such things as the needs of the child(ren), what each parent possesses in relation to their ability to meet those needs, and any ongoing relationships between those seeking custody.
A SAPCR can also be used to ask for orders of medical and dental support. A SAPCR lets parents get other rights too, such as the right to consent to medical treatments and procedures, educational decisions, and to control psychiatric and psychological treatment.
A “SAPCR” is a Suit Affecting the Parent-Child Relationship. More specifically, this type of lawsuit addresses the rights, duties, and obligations that a parent has concerning a child. Here are some of the issues that will likely be addressed in a SAPCR:
Will the parties be joint managing conservators, or will one party be appointed sole managing conservator?
What type of possession schedule will the parties be entitled to exercise? When and where does pick up and drop off occur?
What are the financial support obligations of the parents? Will one parent be obligated to provide child support to the other parent?
Who has the right to designate the primary residence of the child?
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A SAPCR is usually filed in cases where the parties have never been married and no court order addresses the above issues. If a child has been the subject of a prior suit and a court order has been entered, a party may want to file a Suit to Modify the Parent-Child Relationship, otherwise known as a Modification suit.
If you have questions about what type of suit to file involving your children, call to schedule a consultation with one of our attorneys.
For more information please visit our site.
Christopher M. Kirker is a Partner and Trial Attorney at Kirker Davis for complex family law litigation, primarily high-net-worth Texas divorce, custody, division of property, business ownership litigation, and trial consulting. Education: Baylor University School of Law, cum laude, J.D. (2010)
Chris M. Kirker
Years of Experience: +13 years
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This page has been written, edited, and reviewed by a team of legal writers following our comprehensive editorial guidelines. This page was approved by Co-founding Partner, Chris Kirker who has more than 20 years of legal experience as a family lawyer.
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