Family Deck Flashcards
Must a couple desiring to enter into a ceremonial marriage obtain a marriage license?
yes
When does a marriage license expire?
If a ceremony is not held within 90 days of the date it was issued
Is a medical examination required to obtain a marriage license?
No
What is the purpose of obtaining a marriage license?
To ensure the two people are able to be married under Texas law
Is a marriage license required for common law marriage?
No
Is a ceremonial marriage still valid even though a marriage license is not obtained?
Yes
Do the parties have to be residence of Texas to marry in Texas?
No
What is the 72 hour rule?
The marriage ceremony cannot take place during the 72-hour period following issuance of the marriage license
What is the exceptions to the 72-hour?
- One of the applicants is on active duty with the armed forces or performs work for the Department of Defense
- A court waives the waiting period
- The applicants have completed a premarital education course
When can a recently divorced person get remarried?
After 30 days of divorce decree or the court waives the waiting period upon showing of good cause
A divorced couple can remarry each other at anytime
What things are necessary in order to find a marriage that violated the 30-day waiting period for divorced people void? Who can it voided by?
Can be voided by the innocent party
Must be brought within one year, and the parties did not cohabit after the innocent party learns of divorce
What needs to be done to obtain a marriage license?
- Appear together or separately before the county clerk
- Submit proof of ID and and age (if under age must also provide proof establishing parental consent or court approval)
- Sign the license application under oath
Is premarital counseling required?
No but is encouraged
Can a parent give consent to marry for the child who is under the age of 16?
No, only a court can do that and only will if it found to be in the best interest of the child.
Can a retired judge conduct a marriage ceremony?
For a state judge, yes if he had at least 12 years of service
Federal - yes if 8 years service of court in that state
Can a person authorized to conduct a marriage ceremony discriminate on the basis of race, religion, or national origin against applicants who are otherwise qualified to be married?
Hell no
A judge can be removed for doing that
Is the official conducting the marriage ceremony required to elicit particular or specific information or answers from a party to the marriage?
Are the participants required to speak or respond?
No and no
Does Texas recognize informal marriage?
Yes
What must a couple do to establish an informal marriage?
- Parties must agree to be married
- Cohabitation between the parties
- Holding Out
How can a party’s agreement to be marriage be proven?
Are occasional references to “my wife” or “my husband” sufficient to support a finding of an agreement to be married?
By direct or circumstantial evidence
No it is not sufficient, non-marital cohabitation is far more common than it once was and evidence of a tacit agreement to marry must be weighed more carefully than in the past
Is a single public act, such as signing a mortgage or a credit application as “husband and wife” be sufficient enough to be considered “holding out” for the purpose of finding an informal marriage?
No, it’s all about the couple’s REPUTATION in the community.
Does he wear a ring? Does she use her maiden name?
How can a party establish the existence of a common law marriage?
Execute and record a sworn “Declaration of Informal Marriage”
What is the state’s purpose for upholding the validity of marriages?
To provide stability for those entering into the marriage relationship in good faith AND provide legitimacy and security for the children of the relationship.
Is the validity of the marriage affected by fraud, mistake, or illegality that occurred in obtaining the marriage license?
General rule is no. However, if one of the parties falsely answers a question in the license application, this constitutes evidence of fraud in the inducement that can be used to annul the marriage.
What are the three circumstances that make a marriage void?
- A marriage of parties within the prohibited degrees of consanguinity
- A bigamous marriage
- A marriage of a party under age 16 without a court order
Consanguinity; who can a person not marry?
Ancestor or descendant
Brother or sister
Nephew or niece
Aunt or uncle
First cousin
Stepchild
What happens to a marriage’s validity if the ceremony is conducted by an unauthorized person?
Marriage will still be valid if:
- There was a reasonable appearance of authority by the person conducting the ceremony AND
- At least one party to the marriage must have participated in the ceremony in good faith and treated the marriage as valid
Does consanguinity apply to adoptions?
Yes
Is a marriage void if either party was previously married and the prior marriage was not dissolved?
Yes, that is a bigamous marriage
When will a bigamous marriage become valid?
When the prior marriage is dissolved by divorce or death if the couple is still living together and holding out to be married
If it is alleged that one of the parties was already married, which marriage will be presumed valid?
The most recent one, party asserting the validity of prior marriage has the burden of proving its validity
A suit to declare a marriage void may be maintained in Texas if what?
- The marriage was contracted in Texas
OR
- One of the parties is domiciled in Texas
Is a marriage subject to challenge after the death of either party? What is the exception?
No, unless it is alleged the decedent did not have sufficient mental capacity to consent to the marriage
What is the statute of limitations for filing a suit to void a marriage due to underage?
If brought on behalf of child by a next friend - 90 days
If brought on behalf of child by parent or guardian - before the child turns 18
Is an underage marriage voidable at the court’s discretion?
Yes, the court will consider all pertinent facts
When may a marriage be annulled?
If at the time of the marriage:
- The petitioner was under the influence of alcohol or narcotics and did not have the capacity to consent to the marriage
OR
- Either party was permanently impotent and the petitioner did not know of the impotency at the time of the marriage
OR
- The other party used fraud, duress or force to induce the petitioner to enter into the marriage (like if guy only married the chick to gain citizenship and she didn’t know that)
A suit to annul a marriage may be based on incapacity of one of the parties if what?
The parties did not voluntarily cohabit after the incapacity was evident.
A marriage may be annulled based on a concealed divorce if what?
What’s the statute of limitations?
- The other party was divorced from a third party within the 30-day period preceding the marriage ceremony
- The petitioner did not know or should’ve known
- The petitioner has not voluntarily cohabited with the other party since discovering the divorce
1 year to annul
May a marriage be annulled if it violated the 72-hour rule?
Yes, within 30 days
May a marriage be annulled post-death for lack of capacity?
Yes, if
- the marriage took place within 3 years of the decedent’s death
And
- The action is filed within one year after the decedent’s death
When does Texas law apply to marriage taking place outside the state?
When the couple established domicile in Texas
So if a couple married in Ohio in 1999 and then moved to Texas in 2005 - Ohio law would apply to all the property acquired before 2005 and Texas law would apply to the property acquired thereafter the moment the couple crossed into the state with the intention to permanently reside in Texas
Does a spouse have a duty to support the other spouse?
Yes, must provide necessaries
What is a No-Fault divorce?
A divorce may be decreed without regard to fault if the marriage “has become insupportable because of discord or conflict of personalities that destroys the legitimate ends of the marriage relationship and prevents any reasonable expectation of reconciliation”
What is a defense to a no-fault divorce?
Reasonable expectation of reconciliation
What are some other rarely encountered viable grounds for divorce?
- Adultery
- Conviction of a felony with imprisonment for at least one year without a pardon
- Abandonment for more than one year
- Living apart for at least 3 years
- Confinement to a mental hospital for at least 3 years
Can damages be recovered for IIED?
Yes
Can damages be recovered for NIED
No, tort law should not attempt to provide redress for every time a spouse being a dick or a bitch
Elements for IIED?
- Defendant acted intentionally or recklessly
- Conduct was extreme and outrageous
- Defendant’s actions caused the plaintiff to suffer emotional distress
AND
- The emotional distress was SEVERE
Can the same conduct be considered for both tort recovery and just and right division of community property?
No, it would be like double recovery
Is there an independent tort cause of action between spouses for injury to the community?
No. A spouse cannot recover actual or punitive damages when the other spouse allegedly breaches a fiduciary duty by committing a fraud against the community estate. Rationale is that the wronged spouse has adequate remedy through the “just and right” division of the estate.
What are the requirements to file a petition for divorce?
- Either spouse has been domiciled in Texas for at least 6 months
AND
- Either party has resided in the county in which the suit is filed for the preceding 90-days - if not the case will be dismissed
To grant a divorce does the court have to have personal jurisdiction over the other party?
No if the durational residency test is met
Can a court award reasonable attorney’s fees in suit for dissolution of marriage?
Yes
Does a suit to annul or void a marriage require the residency requirements for divorce?
No, parties just need to be married in Texas or domiciled in Texas
When can a court exercise personal jurisdiction over a nonresident in a suit for divorce, annulment, or to declare a marriage void?
- If Texas is the last marital residence of the couple, and the suit is commenced within 2 years after the date on which the marital residence ended
- Any basis consistent with the constitutions of Texas and the US.
What must a pleading for dissolution of a marriage include?
Must contain allegations of the grounds relied on, substantially using the language of the statute
Must state whether a protective order for family violence is pending or in effect between the parties. Copy must be attached.
What must a pleading for dissolution of a marriage not include?
Detailed statement of evidentiary facts… don’t trash talk the other spouse in the pleading
Can a court order a couple to go to counseling during a pending divorce?
Yes, to see if there is a chance of reconciliation
Can marriage counselor testify, can notes be used as evidence?
Hell no, that shit is personal and privileged
Can a default judgment be given upon failure to answer?
Nope, the petitioner retains the burden of proof to establish the grounds for divorce
When is a SAPCR required to be joined with a dissolution action?
When the children are children of both spouses
May the court order a TRO ex parte?
Yes to prevent harassing acts that no reasonable person would think he would be allowed to commit (intent to annoy, falsifying records, messing with property, threats of injury, terminating insurance policies)