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Feature TYLA Project

Attorney General Guide
By:  Baili Rhodes

The Attorney General is an attorney who serves as the main legal advisor for the State of Texas.  He or she is charged by the Texas Constitution to “defend the laws of the Constitution of the State of Texas, represent the State in litigation, and approve public bond issues.”  

The Attorney General is not permitted to represent or offer legal advice to private individuals.  However, the OAG protects the rights of the citizens of Texas through a variety of agencies and divisions.  The services to Texas citizens include enforcement of health, safety and consumer regulations; educational outreach programs; and protection of the rights of the elderly and disabled.  Additionally, the Attorney General is charged with collecting of court-ordered child support and administering of the Crime Victims’ Compensation Fund.

Many Texans have heard of the Office of the Attorney General but they have no idea what the OAG does or what they should do if they are contacted by the OAG.  TYLA’s Attorney General Guide gives an idea of the involvement of the Office of the Attorney General in family-law matters and of other services available from the office.

Here are examples of some of the information in the Attorney General Guide:
• The OAG has five criminal-justice divisions responsible for investigating and prosecuting crimes, defending state felony convictions in state and federal court, and providing benefits to crime victims.

• The OAG is the State's official child-support enforcement agency for the State of Texas.  The Child Support Division works to locate absent parents, establish paternity, establish and enforce child-and medical-support orders, review and adjust child-support payments, and collect and distribute child-support payments.  These services are provided at no cost to parents.  Additionally, the Child Support Division provides a number of parenting education intiativies.

• The OAG provides support to individual consumers and business entities by filing suits under the Deceptive Trade Practices Act and other consumer-protection statutes.  Complaints filed with the OAG may form the basis of an investigation of company practices, and, in some cases, a legal action on behalf of the State of Texas.

• The OAG also acts to protect taxpayers against civil Medicaid fraud.

TYLA hopes that the Attorney General Guide will give Texans an understanding of the Office of the Attorney General and the services that office provides.