Tools for Houston Guardians ad Litem, Therapists and Mediators

A co-parenting app and case tools you can recommend to the Houston families you work with, whether you serve as a guardian ad litem, a therapist, or a mediator. Messaging between co-parents is free for both parents, and every message is time-stamped and tamper-evident.

Custody cases in Houston move through the Harris County Family District Courts, and many of the parents in them handle at least part of the case without a lawyer. For guardians ad litem, family therapists, and mediators, that usually means sorting fact from feeling before any real work can start. This page shows what the parents you work with can use on FamilyCourtHelp.com to come to you organized.

Texas uses its own words, "conservatorship" where many states say custody and "possession and access" where they say visitation, and the tools follow Texas's terms so the papers parents bring you read the way the court reads them.

Area covered: Harris County.

Court for custody cases: Harris County Family District Courts.

Appointed for the child: Amicus attorney.

Custody mediation: Often ordered by the judge.

Parenting coordinators: Set by state law or court rule (Tex. Fam. Code ch. 153, subch. K).

Parenting class: Depends on the county or judge (parent education and family stabilization course).

State family law: Texas Family Code.

What Texas calls custody: conservatorship.

Co-parent messaging (Free): One time-stamped, tamper-evident thread, free for both parents, with a Tone Meter that offers calmer rewrites.

Invite a professional into the conversation (Free): A parent can add a guardian ad litem or mediator to the co-parent conversation with a single-use link.

Parenting plan, built and shared (Free to build): Parents draft a parenting plan and can share it with you to read and comment on.

Verify a chat export (Free): Check that an exported message record (the JSON file) has not been changed. No account needed.

Court-Grade Journal (Paid plan): A dated, no-delete journal; a parent can send you a packet of chosen entries.

Expense Tracker (Paid plan): Shared child costs with receipts; a parent can give you a view-only look.

Parents can create an account and message their co-parent for free, with no credit card. Building a parenting plan is free; sharing, downloading, and printing it, and the tools marked as a paid plan, are part of a monthly plan a parent can start and stop.

For amicus attorneys and guardians ad litem in Houston

In Texas, the court can appoint an amicus attorney in a custody case. What the role involves is in the FAQ below.

The parents decide what you see. One of them can add you to the co-parent conversation with a single-use link, and once you accept with a free account you can read the thread, post in it, and follow schedule requests on the shared calendar. A shared parenting plan opens to you for reading and comments.

The invitation a parent sends is labeled Guardian ad Litem, the title most states use. It works the same if you serve as an amicus attorney in Houston.

For therapists and counselors in Houston

For court-involved therapists, co-parenting counselors, and custody evaluators in Houston, the site stays on the parents' side of the line: there is no therapist seat and no access to a family's account. What it changes is what walks into the room. Parents write to each other in one time-stamped thread, and the Tone Meter in the free messenger offers a calmer version of a message before it goes out.

For mediators, parenting coordinators and parenting facilitators in Houston

In Texas, custody mediation is often ordered by the judge. Parenting coordinators are set by state law or court rule (Tex. Fam. Code ch. 153, subch. K). The details are in the FAQ below.

A parent can invite you into the co-parent conversation with a single-use link and share the parenting plan for you to read and comment on, so you see the draft and the open issues before the first session in Houston. Between sessions, agreements stay in writing in the one thread, and schedule changes go through the shared calendar as requests the other parent approves or declines.

Parenting coordinators can be added to a shared plan as a viewer who reads and comments.

Family court programs in Houston

Custody cases in Houston are heard in the Harris County Family District Courts. The court-connected programs below were checked against official sources.

Harris County Domestic Relations Office, Family Mediation: The county Domestic Relations Office works with the family district courts to provide mediation for families in pending cases. Local rules send most contested matters to mediation.

Harris County Domestic Relations Office, Family Court Services: This division offers child custody evaluations, issue based investigations and parenting coordination for the family courts.

Harris County Domestic Relations Office, Parenting Workshops: The Domestic Relations Office runs parenting workshops for parents in Harris County family cases.

If you searched for an amicus attorney, a family therapist, or a custody mediator in Houston, the court that has your case, the order in it, or your lawyer is the place to find who is appointed or approved. This site does not appoint professionals or refer you to one. What you can do here is come prepared: keep every message with your co-parent in one time-stamped thread, write down what happened with dates while it is fresh, and work on a parenting plan before the meeting.

Free help for parents in Houston: the court help desks and legal aid offices below were checked link by link for the site's free pro se help directory.

Harris: Harris County Robert W. Hainsworth Law Library, (713) 755-5183. A public law library near the courthouse that helps people without a lawyer find forms and legal information.

Harris legal aid: Lone Star Legal Aid, (800) 733-8394.

FamilyCourtHelp.com is a self-help platform, not a law firm and not a court, and nothing on this page is legal, clinical, or mediation advice. Court rules and local programs change, so confirm anything that matters for a case with the court, the order that appointed you, or the program itself.

Frequently asked questions

Where are custody cases heard in Houston?

Divorce and custody cases in Houston are heard by the Harris County family district courts, with filings through the Harris County District Clerk.

Is there a court mediation program in Houston?

Yes. Families with a case in the local court can use the Harris County Domestic Relations Office, Family Mediation. What it offers, and the official link, are in the family court programs section above.

Where can parents in Houston get free help with a family court case?

Free court help for parents without a lawyer: Harris County Robert W. Hainsworth Law Library. Free legal aid: Lone Star Legal Aid. Phone numbers and links are in the parents section above, checked link by link for the site's free pro se help directory.

How can parents prepare for custody mediation in Houston?

Bring the family calendar, a draft parenting plan, a list of the issues still open, and a list of shared costs with receipts. Parents can put all of that together on FamilyCourtHelp.com before the first session. Families with a case in the local court can ask about the Harris County Domestic Relations Office, Family Mediation.

What does an amicus attorney do in a Houston custody case?

Texas uses three court-appointed roles for children. An amicus attorney helps the court protect the child's best interests, an attorney ad litem is the child's own lawyer, and a guardian ad litem is usually a non-lawyer who looks into what is best for the child. You may also see "attorney ad litem" and "guardian ad litem". The rule is in Tex. Fam. Code ch. 107 (sec. 107.001 definitions). This is general information, not legal advice; the order in the case controls.

Is custody mediation required in Texas?

A Texas judge may send a custody case to mediation on the court's own motion or when both parties agree. A parent may object because of family violence, and the court must then decide whether mediation is safe.

Does Texas use parenting coordinators?

Texas law lets a court appoint a parenting coordinator or a parenting facilitator to help parents settle parenting disputes. A coordinator's process is confidential. A facilitator's process is not, and a facilitator may also check whether parents follow the court order.

Do parents in Texas have to take a parenting class?

State law lets a court order parents to take a parent education and family stabilization course of 4 to 12 hours. Whether it is required depends on the county and the judge.