Given the emotional nature of most child custody cases in Texas, it is not unusual for one or both of the participants in the process to be displeased with the way it was resolved. Many wish to file a complaint to the Office of the Attorney General so their situation can be rectified and any problems they had with the process can be addressed. It is important to know, however, when there should be a complaint made to the ombudsman because of behavior of an employee and when there should be an inquiry about the case itself.
The ombudsman handles issues of courtesy and competence. If a person is not satisfied with the service he or she received from an employee of the Office of the Attorney General, it is possible to file a complaint with the ombudsman. The ombudsman will record, investigate and seek to resolve the issue. With a complaint, the records will include the name of the complainant, the date of the complaint, why the complaint was filed, who was involved in the case, and a summary of the results of the ombudsman’s investigation.
A complaint is different from an inquiry. Inquiries involving the following are not considered applicable for complaints to the ombudsman: child support modification, child support enforcement and changes to a support agreement; questions regarding a case and its status; requests for information such as financial factors; requests for action to be taken; and dissatisfaction with those who are not employed by the Office of the Attorney General.
People who are seeking a child support modification, help with child support enforcement or changes to a support agreement might waste a significant amount of time going through the process of complaining to the ombudsman when they should actually be moving forward with an inquiry. Regardless of the situation linked to child custody, and if it has to do with a simple lack of professionalism and courtesy, or there is the desire for a modification, speaking to a lawyer can provide guidance in any circumstance.
Source: childsupport.oag.state.tx.us, “Child Support Complaint Process,” accessed on March 14, 2016