Family Law Overview Flashcards
Overview
What make up a Family?
marriage, blood, adoption, quasi (same sex, foster parents, consanguinity)
Types of Parentage:
Traditional: child birth/paternity based on marriage
Formal: Parentage by adoption
Functional: Based on child rearing and bonding
Loving v Virginia
Right to marry not right to interracial marriage
Obergefell v. Hodges
Right to personal choice regarding marriage individual autonomy
Right to marry is fundamental
The holding is the right to marry not right to same sex marriage
(Balancing test - determines if it fundamental)
Lawrence
Private conduct & exercise of liberty.
Right to marry does not extend to those who cannot consent, who are harmed/injured, no consent for minors.
Griswald
Right to privacy - Freedom of unwarranted government intrusion into fundamental matters
Is cousin marriage allowed in Texas?
No it was voided in 2004, a clerk may not issue a wedding license to cousins
What is the Texas Springing Marriage Rule?
1st marriage dissolve
2nd Springs to valid w/o another wedding
Skinner
Procreation is a basic civil right
Age qualifications to marry
a.) Most states 18, many with exceptions. 16 with parent signature, some no minimum b.) Texas 2007: 16 minimum parental or judicial consent up to 18. Underage voidable
(valid unless annulled) 2017: Marriage by unemancipated child under 18 is void.
9.) Choice of partner, Consanguinity
a.) Incestuous marriage is void and criminal
b.) 1⁄2 states permit cousin marriage, exception in some states if one is sterile or beyond procreation age.
c.) choice of law, legal in some states, illegal if relocated d.) Cook:
First cousins, valid in VA, one child. Move to AZ=void. Which law applicable? AZ follows “place celebrated” but public policy issue. Conflict of law case. Apply AZ law. Procedural law can be retroactive, but not affect substantive rights. Right must be vested. “Immediate fixed right to enjoyment”.
Prongs of polygamy:
1st: Act & Intent
2nd: Holding out that you are married
3rd: Cohabitating w/ person of other sex while married to another
But Adultery + Fornication are legal
Promises to Marry
a.) Not enforceable unless in writing
Is promise to marry binding in Texas?
Tx: Prior marriage no defense when unknown to promisee and good faith reliance. This case…remand for misrepresentation of promisee chastity
Recovery of diamond ring following engagement. Conditional gift and unlawful
conversion?
Agreement not in writing. Statute of frauds?
Conditional-gift rule: must find fault. (ie woman is crazy)
Is a license needed in Texas?
Texas: no license in statute. Not void or voidable unless expressly in statute
Solemnization:
code silent. Just agreement they are married, and witnessed by
qualified official
Is verbal communication of consent required?
Coulter:
Elderly and mute. No verbal communication of consent. Annulled only when
judicially ascertained to be void or voidable. Participants not legally required to speak or respond.
Does lack of voluntary assent render marriage voidable?
Yes. Lack of voluntary assent renders marriage voidable but not void. Right to void belongs to person whose voluntary consent is in question. Death of one party bars action to annul. 611: standing to any interested person alleging lack of mental capacity at time of marriage.
Is misrepresentation of character or wealth generally enough to render marriage
voidable?
No misrepresentation unless to essence of marriage (pregnancy, paternity)
Material misrepresentation factors include:
Material misrepresentation essential to marriage (love, kids) H relied on. 1) known to be false 2) intended to be acted upon 3) relied on 4) caused injury. Misrepresentation of motive might be sufficient for annulment.
Who is Marriage by Proxy for?
Only for armed services stationed in another country
Common law marriage in Texas
1st: Agreement In praesenti (we are married-in the present tense).
2nd: Lived together in Texas
3rd: There (TX represented to others they were married
Result-> equal to formal marriage; dissolved only by death or judicial divorce.
Factors:
Requires cohabitation and
holding out (by both H&W) bc no witnesses. Joint tax returns, telling neighbor, hotel registration
Is the court allowed to rebut common law marriage for spousal privilege?
Yes.
Court is allowed to rebut and review factors i.e. (Not living together during relevant time. Agmt to be married, not married sometime in the future).
Remedies for a voidable marriage?
Voidable marriage remedy is annulment, but cohabitation after finding flaw or
release from duress ratifies marriage (turns into common law) and precludes marriage.
Parties aware of flaw in marriage or voidable must cease cohabitation and file annulment before reliance through inaction ratifies marriage
(Annulment must happen so quickly after putative wedding there isn’t much property to divide).
What is the putative spouse doctrine?
Any remedy for the putative spouse is likely to affect property interests of the lawful opposing spouse.
Does your duty to support a child end when your child gets married and annulled?
Emancipation and marriage ends duty of support. Reinstatement effective from
date of annulment of child’s marriage.
Does your duty to support a child end when your child gets married and later divorces?
Yes. If child marriage ends in divorce, child remains emancipated.
Are the putative wife and lawful wife entitled to same property rights?
Yes- to the detriment of the lawful wife.
Does Texas laws provide for alimony?
No. It provides for Post marital spousal maintenance to lawful or putative wife.
Choice of law:
Validity determined by state married occured. Full Faith and Credit.
In CL marriages in non CL states depends on on choice of law followed by non CL state.
Elopement law:
Marry in another state bc prohibited in home state.
Reverse elopement law:
Prohibits marriage by non residents if home state prohibits.
Planned Parenthood v. Casey
Due process the state law required notice to H before abortion
State lacked sufficient “compelling” interest
Is legal separation allowed in Texas?
No it is allowed in some states, not in Texas
What are the requirements to seek spousal maintenance?
1) 10+ years
2) lacks property for reasonable needs 3)lacks earning ability.
More possibilities: physical/mental disability, custodian of child with disability, act of family violence w/in 2 years.
What is the max amount and time allowed for spousal maintenance?
20% or $5k max. Duration 10yrs max. Can grant spousal maintenance in annulment, void marriage
What is the Doctrine of necessaries:
Humanitarian or emergency function
Liable to 3rd parties for value of necessities furnished to W, can include clothing, can be owed to children, does not need authorization, even if seperated, and not fault of Wife, Husband is still liable.
Is Debt to Neiman Marcus by W, necessities?
Marriage alone doesn’t make on liable for others debt.
W’s implied agency for H is implied by course of dealing.
A frequent basis for H’s liability for household needs
OR
A creditor may invoke the doctrine of “necessaries”
(Social status came to define scope of spouses necessaries)
What was spousal immunity and what tort does it apply to? (Price)
*Decline of spousal immunity
Immunity based on preservation of harmony; abolished for any cause of action
Can a spouse sue for IIED in Texas? (Twyman)
Yes in joinder of tort in divorce so there is no disproportionate recovery.
(Spousal immunity for torts abolished.)
**Torts for sexual acts too intrusive.
What are the elements of invasion of privacy?
Video camera in bdroom of H while W away. Investigator changed tape while W
away.
Must show 1)intrusive conduct 2)private nature 3)intrusion substantial and highly offensive to reasonable person. Aiding wrongdoer=liable. Marriage does not negate privacy. Can still expect privacy in bedroom, no matter if exposure is never public.
Is wiretapping allowed in the marital home?
Tx and Fed law prohibits wiretapping w/in marital home
Stored Communications Act -> Amended by the “Patriot Act”
- Protects stored Data
- Unauthorized accessing of a facility for storage of data
- Facility is separate from person’s personal device
But, searching another’s personal device may be a forty
Special Property
- Assets acquired before marriage
- Gifts and inheritances received during marriage, which create only SP of the donee spouse
- Exception to the above for a clear gift by a spouse to community
- Damages for a personal injury
- Traceable: transmutations and appreciated value of SP
What some limits of community property?
1) Sham transfer prior to divorce
2) unauthorized use of spouse’s special community property
What are misuses of community assets?
1) Waste/other fault
2) Fraud
3) Constructive Fraud
4) A spouses’ fraud claim against other spouse’s transferee (emu’s sold cheap)
(Reckless)
What are some factors to consider whether Constructive fraud occurred?
1) Size of gift compared to CP
2) Relationship
3) Like purpose of gift
How is the reconstituted estate determined?(Schleuter)
Assets wrongful transferred + Remaining Community Property = Reconstituted Community Estate
An owner for purposes of trespass is who?
The person with the greater right of possession.
Who can consent to a warrantless search of a home?
Anyone with apparent authority may consent.
Present consenter does not override present objector.
Do you have a duty to control the actions of your spouse?
No. No duty to control others except special relationship, but none for H &W. Not an agent solely bc of marriage
Is special community property subject to attachment of spouses non tortious liability. (Montemayor)
Special community property not subject to attachment of non tortious liability of other spouse before/during marriage. Profits reinvested into business.