Title FA, Family Code

Sec. 153.3171. BEGINNING AND ENDING POSSESSION TIMES FOR PARENTS WHO RESIDE 50 MILES OR LESS APART. Text of subsection as added by Acts 2021, 87th Leg., R.S., Ch. 967 (S.B. 1936), Sec. 1 (a) Except as provided by Subsection (b), if the possessory conservator resides not more than…

Sec. 153.371. RIGHTS AND DUTIES OF NONPARENT APPOINTED AS SOLE MANAGING CONSERVATOR. Unless limited by court order or other provisions of this chapter, a nonparent, a licensed child-placing agency, or the Department of Family and Protective Services appointed as a managing conser…

Sec. 153.372. NONPARENT APPOINTED AS JOINT MANAGING CONSERVATOR. (a) A nonparent, the Department of Family and Protective Services, or a licensed child-placing agency appointed as a joint managing conservator may serve in that capacity with either another nonparent or with a pare…

Sec. 153.3721. ACCESS TO CERTAIN RECORDS BY NONPARENT JOINT MANAGING CONSERVATOR. Unless limited by court order or other provisions of this chapter, a nonparent joint managing conservator has the right of access to the medical records of the child, without regard to whether the r…

Sec. 153.373. VOLUNTARY SURRENDER OF POSSESSION REBUTS PARENTAL PRESUMPTION. The presumption that a parent should be appointed or retained as managing conservator of the child is rebutted if the court finds that: (1) the parent has voluntarily relinquished actual care, control, a…

Sec. 153.374. DESIGNATION OF MANAGING CONSERVATOR IN AFFIDAVIT OF RELINQUISHMENT. (a) A parent may designate a competent person, the Department of Family and Protective Services, or a licensed child-placing agency to serve as managing conservator of the child in an unrevoked or i…

Sec. 153.375. ANNUAL REPORT BY NONPARENT MANAGING CONSERVATOR. (a) A nonparent appointed as a managing conservator of a child shall each 12 months after the appointment file with the court a report of facts concerning the child's welfare, including the child's whereabouts and phy…

Sec. 153.376. RIGHTS AND DUTIES OF NONPARENT POSSESSORY CONSERVATOR. (a) Unless limited by court order or other provisions of this chapter, a nonparent, a licensed child-placing agency, or the Department of Family and Protective Services appointed as a possessory conservator has …

Sec. 153.377. ACCESS TO CHILD'S RECORDS. A nonparent possessory conservator has the right of access to medical, dental, psychological, and educational records of the child to the same extent as the managing conservator, without regard to whether the right is specified in the orde…

Sec. 153.431. APPOINTMENT OF GRANDPARENT, AUNT, OR UNCLE AS MANAGING CONSERVATOR. If both of the parents of a child are deceased, the court may consider appointment of a parent, sister, or brother of a deceased parent as a managing conservator of the child, but that consideration…

Sec. 153.432. SUIT FOR POSSESSION OR ACCESS BY GRANDPARENT. (a) A biological or adoptive grandparent may request possession of or access to a grandchild by filing: (1) an original suit; or (2) a suit for modification as provided by Chapter 156. (b) A grandparent may request posse…

Sec. 153.433. POSSESSION OF OR ACCESS TO GRANDCHILD. (a) The court may order reasonable possession of or access to a grandchild by a grandparent if: (1) at the time the relief is requested, at least one biological or adoptive parent of the child has not had that parent's parental…

Sec. 153.434. LIMITATION ON RIGHT TO REQUEST POSSESSION OR ACCESS. A biological or adoptive grandparent may not request possession of or access to a grandchild if: (1) each of the biological parents of the grandchild has: (A) died; (B) had the person's parental rights terminated;…

Sec. 153.501. NECESSITY OF MEASURES TO PREVENT INTERNATIONAL PARENTAL CHILD ABDUCTION. (a) In a suit, if credible evidence is presented to the court indicating a potential risk of the international abduction of a child by a parent of the child, the court, on its own motion or at …

Sec. 153.502. ABDUCTION RISK FACTORS. (a) To determine whether there is a risk of the international abduction of a child by a parent of the child, the court shall consider evidence that the parent: (1) has taken, enticed away, kept, withheld, or concealed a child in violation of …

Sec. 153.503. ABDUCTION PREVENTION MEASURES. If the court finds that it is necessary under Section 153.501 to take measures to protect a child from international abduction by a parent of the child, the court may take any of the following actions: (1) appoint a person other than t…

Sec. 153.551. SUIT FOR ACCESS. (a) The sibling of a child who is separated from the child because of an action taken by the Department of Family and Protective Services may request access to the child by filing: (1) an original suit; or (2) a suit for modification as provided by …

Sec. 153.601. DEFINITIONS. In this subchapter: (1) "Dispute resolution process" means: (A) a process of alternative dispute resolution conducted in accordance with Section 153.0071 of this chapter and Chapter 154, Civil Practice and Remedies Code; or (B) any other method of volun…

Sec. 153.602. PARENTING PLAN NOT REQUIRED IN TEMPORARY ORDER. A temporary order in a suit affecting the parent-child relationship rendered in accordance with Section 105.001 is not required to include a temporary parenting plan. The court may not require the submission of a tempo…

Sec. 153.603. REQUIREMENT OF PARENTING PLAN IN FINAL ORDER. (a) Except as provided by Subsection (b), a final order in a suit affecting the parent-child relationship must include a parenting plan. (b) The following orders are not required to include a parenting plan: (1) an order…

Sec. 153.6031. EXCEPTION TO DISPUTE RESOLUTION PROCESS REQUIREMENT. A requirement in a parenting plan that a party initiate or participate in a dispute resolution process before filing a court action does not apply to an action: (1) to modify the parenting plan in an emergency; (…

Sec. 153.605. APPOINTMENT OF PARENTING COORDINATOR. (a) In a suit affecting the parent-child relationship, the court may, on its own motion or on a motion or agreement of the parties, appoint a parenting coordinator or assign a domestic relations office under Chapter 203 to appoi…

Sec. 153.6051. APPOINTMENT OF PARENTING FACILITATOR. (a) In a suit affecting the parent-child relationship, the court may, on its own motion or on a motion or agreement of the parties, appoint a parenting facilitator or assign a domestic relations office under Chapter 203 to appo…

Sec. 153.606. DUTIES OF PARENTING COORDINATOR. (a) The court shall specify the duties of a parenting coordinator in the order appointing the parenting coordinator. The duties of the parenting coordinator are limited to matters that will aid the parties in: (1) identifying dispute…

Sec. 153.6061. DUTIES OF PARENTING FACILITATOR. (a) The court shall specify the duties of a parenting facilitator in the order appointing the parenting facilitator. The duties of the parenting facilitator are limited to those matters described with regard to a parenting coordinat…

Sec. 153.607. PRESUMPTION OF GOOD FAITH; REMOVAL OF PARENTING COORDINATOR. (a) It is a rebuttable presumption that a parenting coordinator is acting in good faith if the parenting coordinator's services have been conducted as provided by this subchapter and the Ethical Guidelines…

Sec. 153.6071. PRESUMPTION OF GOOD FAITH; REMOVAL OF PARENTING FACILITATOR. (a) It is a rebuttable presumption that a parenting facilitator is acting in good faith if the parenting facilitator's services have been conducted as provided by this subchapter and the standard of care …

Sec. 153.608. REPORT OF PARENTING COORDINATOR. A parenting coordinator shall submit a written report to the court and to the parties as often as ordered by the court. The report must be limited to a statement of whether the parenting coordination should continue. Added by Acts 20…

Sec. 153.6081. REPORT OF PARENTING FACILITATOR. A parenting facilitator shall submit a written report to the court and to the parties as ordered by the court. The report may include a recommendation described by Section 153.6082(e) and any other information required by the court,…

Sec. 153.6082. REPORT OF JOINT PROPOSAL OR STATEMENT OF INTENT; AGREEMENTS AND RECOMMENDATIONS. (a) If the parties have been ordered by the court to attempt to settle parenting issues with the assistance of a parenting coordinator or parenting facilitator and to attempt to reach …

Sec. 153.6083. COMMUNICATIONS AND RECORDKEEPING OF PARENTING FACILITATOR. (a) Notwithstanding any rule, standard of care, or privilege applicable to the professional license held by a parenting facilitator, a communication made by a participant in parenting facilitation is subjec…

Sec. 153.609. COMPENSATION OF PARENTING COORDINATOR. (a) A court may not appoint a parenting coordinator, other than a domestic relations office or a comparable county agency appointed under Subsection (c) or a volunteer appointed under Subsection (d), unless, after notice and he…

Sec. 153.6091. COMPENSATION OF PARENTING FACILITATOR. Section 153.609 applies to a parenting facilitator in the same manner as provided for a parenting coordinator, except that a person appointed in accordance with Section 153.609(d) to act as a parenting facilitator must meet th…

Sec. 153.610. QUALIFICATIONS OF PARENTING COORDINATOR. (a) The court shall determine the required qualifications of a parenting coordinator, provided that a parenting coordinator must have experience working in a field relating to families, have practical experience with high-con…

Sec. 153.6101. QUALIFICATIONS OF PARENTING FACILITATOR. (a) The court shall determine whether the qualifications of a proposed parenting facilitator satisfy the requirements of this section. On request by a party, an attorney for a party, or any attorney for a child who is the su…

Sec. 153.6102. PARENTING FACILITATOR; CONFLICTS OF INTEREST AND BIAS. (a) A person who has a conflict of interest with, or has previous knowledge of, a party or a child who is the subject of a suit must, before being appointed as parenting facilitator in a suit: (1) disclose the …

Sec. 153.611. EXCEPTION FOR CERTAIN TITLE IV-D PROCEEDINGS. Notwithstanding any other provision of this subchapter, this subchapter does not apply to a proceeding in a Title IV-D case relating to the determination of parentage or establishment, modification, or enforcement of a c…

Sec. 153.701. DEFINITIONS. In this subchapter: (1) "Designated person" means the person ordered by the court to temporarily exercise a conservator's rights, duties, and periods of possession and access with regard to a child during the conservator's military deployment, military …

Sec. 153.702. TEMPORARY ORDERS. (a) If a conservator is ordered to military deployment, military mobilization, or temporary military duty that involves moving a substantial distance from the conservator's residence so as to materially affect the conservator's ability to exercise …

Sec. 153.703. APPOINTING DESIGNATED PERSON FOR CONSERVATOR WITH EXCLUSIVE RIGHT TO DESIGNATE PRIMARY RESIDENCE OF CHILD. (a) If the conservator with the exclusive right to designate the primary residence of the child is ordered to military deployment, military mobilization, or te…

Sec. 153.704. APPOINTING DESIGNATED PERSON TO EXERCISE VISITATION FOR CONSERVATOR WITH EXCLUSIVE RIGHT TO DESIGNATE PRIMARY RESIDENCE OF CHILD IN CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES. (a) If the court appoints the conservator without the exclusive right to designate the primary residence of the…

Sec. 153.705. APPOINTING DESIGNATED PERSON TO EXERCISE VISITATION FOR CONSERVATOR WITHOUT EXCLUSIVE RIGHT TO DESIGNATE PRIMARY RESIDENCE OF CHILD. (a) If the conservator without the exclusive right to designate the primary residence of the child is ordered to military deployment,…

Sec. 153.707. EXPEDITED HEARING. (a) On a motion by the conservator who has been ordered to military deployment, military mobilization, or temporary military duty, the court shall, for good cause shown, hold an expedited hearing if the court finds that the conservator's military …

Sec. 153.708. ENFORCEMENT. Temporary orders rendered under this subchapter may be enforced by or against the designated person to the same extent that an order would be enforceable against the conservator who has been ordered to military deployment, military mobilization, or temp…

Sec. 153.709. ADDITIONAL PERIODS OF POSSESSION OR ACCESS. (a) Not later than the 90th day after the date a conservator without the exclusive right to designate the primary residence of the child who is a member of the armed services concludes the conservator's military deployment…

Sec. 154.001. SUPPORT OF CHILD. (a) The court may order either or both parents to support a child in the manner specified by the order: (1) until the child is 18 years of age or until graduation from high school, whichever occurs later; (2) until the child is emancipated through …