Family Law Flashcards
Who can’t get married?
A: Age (minors need parental consent our court order)
B: Bigamy (spouses already married)
C: Consanguinity (blood relatives) (cousins marriage ok if not from Texas)
What are the marriage requirements?
Marriage license and ceremony
Someone authorized to marry you
72 hour waiting period after issuance of license
What is the presumption of validity?
Presumption in favor of validity. But statutes can make void or voidable. Generally, validity unaffected by fraud, mistake, illegality
How long is license valid from issuance and what type of ceremony is required?
30 days. No particular ceremony is required. Valid even if performed by unauthorized person if he had apparent authority and a party to the marriage had a good faith belief the marriage was valid.
Common Law Marriage (Informal Marriage)
Neither party is a minor.
A: Agreement to marry (2-year separation raises presumption no agreement)
H: Holding out. Representing to others one is married
C: Cohabitation
Declaration of informal marriage will open up certain government benefits. Presumption is against common law marriage.
How are void marriages terminated?
Via an in rem proceeding brought by either party. May be brought ex parte. At least one party must be domiciled in Texas. No marital property rights would have arisen. Kids of void marriage are marital kids for all purposes.
When may void marriages not be voided?
If petitioner voluntarily cohabited with the other party after situation discovered.
Same-Sex Marriages
Valid since 2015. Clery and clerks need not participate if it violates sincerely held religious belief, and they can delegate task to another authorized and willing individual.
Voidable Marriages. What marriages are voidable?
72 AIDFUL. 72 hours after issuance of license Alcohol/Narcotics Duress/Force Underage Impotency Fraud Lack of Capacity
When can marriage be challenged after one spouse dies?
Marriage took place within 3 year of death and filed within 1 year after death.
What rights, duties, and tort liabilities arise from marriage?
Spousal privilege, duty of support, may recover for intentional but not negligent infliction of emotional distress.
How are marriage terminated.
SAD: Settlement, Annulment, Divorce
What are annulment grounds?
Underage spouse lacked parental/court consent
Spouse concealed a divorce w/i 30 days
Marriage for citizenship.
Marriage within 72 hours of getting the license
It’s in the courts discretion
Divorce Grounds
Texas has fault and no-fault divorce. For no-fault, a spouse must claim the marriage is insupportable. Courts can order counseling, but counselor cannot testify in later proceeding.
What are fault grounds?
Cruel treatment, adultery, abandonment for a year, living apart for 3 years, felony conviction
When are spouses eligible for support?
Married for 10 years (unless there’s a family violence conviction, Spouse lacks enough property to provide for minimum reasonable needs, and must be disabled, custodian of a disable kid, or lack job skills.
The amount of spousal maintenance the judge orders a spouse to pay involuntarily cannot be more than $5000 per month or 20% of the paying spouse’s average monthly gross income, whichever is lower.
Award can be modified downward if circumstances materially or substantially change and will be terminated if either party dies, remarries, or cohabits.
Name change
If not included in divorce degree, petition for change of name in a district court. When there is good cause for it. Cannot deny just to retain name of family members
What is a temporary restraining order TRO?
Issued to prevent unreasonable harrassing acts for 20 days. Meant to holdover for the protective order.
To protect people, property and parenting (possession and access to kids)
Cant compel spousal support, attorney fees, or counseling
Venue is proper in the county where either party resides, or where SAPCR (suit to modify parent child relationship) was filed.
What is the kickout order?
It’s a TRO provision that removes D from family home. Applicant must appear in person for a sworn affidavit. Applicant must have resided on premises in the last 30 days.
What is a temporary injunction?
prohibits a party from an action until trial. Can exclude spouse from residence or require spousal support.
Alternative Dispute Resolution
What are collaborative law procedures?
Written agreement for good faith attempt to resolve dispute outside court.
Attorneys must withdraw if parties don’t settle.
Divorce: Just and Right Division
Allows court to split the assets unevenly
Factors: Whether a party wasted community assets Disparities (income, age, health) Relative opportunities and debts Size of separate estate Length of marriage
Who is a minor child? Who is parent?
Anyone under 18. Biological or adopted mom and presumed or adjudicated father.
How is minority removed?
At 16, minor petitions court to remove minority. Court grants it if in the best interest of the child (BIC)
How is the mother-child relationship established?
How is the father-child relationship established?
Mom: Giving birth, adjudication, or adoption
Dad: Unrebutted presumption of paternity, acknowledgement of paternity, assisted reproduction, adjudication, adoption
Suit Affecting Parent-Child Relationship (SAPCR) & Divorce Filiings
If parties are parents of a MINOR child, suit for divorce, annulment, or to declare the marriage void must include a separate SAPCR
*ONLY required IF children are of BOTH spouses
Long Arm Divorce JDX
- TX last marital residence; filed w/in 2 YRS of end of marital residence
- Any basis w/in TX/US Constitutions (served in TX, files an answer, hires TX lawyer)
* **Court ALSO gets jdx over SAPCR (Suit Affecting Parent/Child Relationships) if it gets long arm for divorce
Divorce Pleadings
- state grounds in statutory language
- any TRO/prot order?
- any kids?
- Must join SAPCR
* **Must state if a protective order for domestic violence is pending/in effect
Divorce Waiting Period
Must wait 60 DAYS after filing
Divorce & community property
Transfers to injure other spouse void after filing divorce
Temporary Restraining Order (TRO)
Ex parte TRO possible if other party:
- Harasses, alarms, annoys
- TROs can be extended to Temp. Injunction
Temporary Injunction
Can require:
Sworn inventories; appraisals, exclude spouses from residences, require support, etc
Divorce Injunction
Provide sworn inventory, spousal support, exclusive occupancy over residence, produce accounting, one spouse pay attorney’s fees, no spending beyond necesarries.
Protection Order
Showing of family violence & LIKELY TO OCCUR AGAIN; Can order no more violence, stalking, communication, being a certain distance, having a gun, harming an animals
Temporary Protection Order
Up to 20 days, possible additional 20 days; can use to evict spouse.
*Req’d to suspend handgun license; Child’s statement is admissible
Presumed Father
Parent
mother on proof of giving birth, a man presumed to be father, adjudicated to be father, that has acknowledged parterntiy, or adoptive mother or father.
Presumed Father
- born during marriage or w/in 300 DAYS after marriage
- man asserts paternity to Bureau of Vital Statistics, was named on birth certificate, or promises to support child in a record
- during first 2 years a man lives w/ child and holds himself out
* **Need CLEAR & CONVINCING EVIDENCE to rebut
SOL For Paterntity
4 yrs; unless ct.
*No stat if father and mother did not have sexual relations, father did not hold himself out
Suit excused from 4 yr. SOL if…
- Ct. determines the man didn’t bring suit because the man & woman didn’t live together/engage in sex during probable time of child’s birth
- Man’s mistaken belief due to misrepresentations
Male’s denial of Paternity
- Genetic test results
2. Written denial of paternity w/written acknowledgment by another man
Rights and Duties of Parent
- physical posession, direct moral and religious training, designate residence
- care, protection, control, discipline
- support
- manage estate
- services and earnings
- consent to marriage, enlistment in armed forces, health care
- represent child in legal actions
- receive / give / disburse funds to benefit child
- inherit through child
- educational decisions
- others created by law
Tort liabiity for child
- Those with duty to control liable for up to $25k if child is 10-18 yrs. old and actions were willful/malicious
- $5k for theft by the child
Delegation of Parental Duties
Possible; not valid if SAPCR pending. Include consenting to medical care (including surgical procedures), enrolling the child in school, obtaining health insurance, consenting to extracurricular activities, and authorizing the child to obtain a learner’s permit or driver’s license