Title FA, Family Code

Sec. 162.602. DOCUMENTATION TO ACCOMPANY PETITION FOR ADOPTION OR ANNULMENT OR REVOCATION OF ADOPTION. At the time a petition for adoption or annulment or revocation of adoption is filed, the petitioner shall also file completed documentation that may be used by the clerk of the …

Sec. 162.603. POST-ADOPTION SUPPORT INFORMATION PROVIDED BY LICENSED CHILD-PLACING AGENCIES. A licensed child-placing agency shall provide prospective adoptive parents with information regarding: (1) the community services and other resources available to support a parent who ado…

Sec. 162.604. MAXIMUM AGE RESTRICTION FOR ADOPTIVE PARENTS PROHIBITED. (a) The Department of Family and Protective Services, a single source continuum contractor, or a licensed child-placing agency that places a child for adoption may not implement or enforce a policy that: (1) s…

Sec. 162.605. INFORMATION REGARDING ADOPTION COSTS. A licensed child-placing agency shall post on its Internet website information regarding adoption costs. The information must include an itemized list of each cost associated with an adoption. Added by Acts 2025, 89th Leg., R.S.…

Sec. 162.701. DEFINITIONS. In this subchapter: (1) "Department" means the Department of Family and Protective Services. (2) "Embryo donation" has the meaning assigned by Section 159.011, Occupations Code. Added by Acts 2017, 85th Leg., R.S., Ch. 331 (H.B. 785), Sec. 2, eff. Septe…

Sec. 162.702. INFORMATION REGARDING EMBRYO DONATION. The department shall post information regarding embryo donation on the department's Internet website. The information must include contact information for nonprofit organizations that facilitate embryo donation. Added by Acts 2…

Sec. 201.001. APPOINTMENT. (a) A judge of a court having jurisdiction of a suit under this title, Title 1, Chapter 45, or Title 4 may appoint a full-time or part-time associate judge to perform the duties authorized by this chapter if the commissioners court of a county in which …

Sec. 201.002. QUALIFICATIONS. (a) Except as provided by Subsection (b), to be eligible for appointment as an associate judge, a person must meet the requirements and qualifications to serve as a judge of the court or courts for which the associate judge is appointed. (b) To be el…

Sec. 201.003. COMPENSATION. (a) An associate judge shall be paid a salary determined by the commissioners court of the county in which the associate judge serves. (b) If an associate judge serves in more than one county, the associate judge shall be paid a salary as determined by…

Sec. 201.004. TERMINATION OF ASSOCIATE JUDGE. (a) An associate judge who serves a single court serves at the will of the judge of that court. (b) The employment of an associate judge who serves more than two courts may only be terminated by a majority vote of all the judges of th…

Sec. 201.005. CASES THAT MAY BE REFERRED. (a) Except as provided by this section, a judge of a court may refer to an associate judge any aspect of a suit or action, including any matter ancillary to the suit or action, over which the court has jurisdiction under: (1) this title; …

Sec. 201.006. ORDER OF REFERRAL. (a) In referring a case to an associate judge, the judge of the referring court shall render: (1) an individual order of referral; or (2) a general order of referral specifying the class and type of cases to be heard by the associate judge. (b) Th…

Sec. 201.007. POWERS OF ASSOCIATE JUDGE. (a) Except as limited by an order of referral, an associate judge may: (1) conduct a hearing; (2) hear evidence; (3) compel production of relevant evidence; (4) rule on the admissibility of evidence; (5) issue a summons for: (A) the appear…

Sec. 201.008. ATTENDANCE OF BAILIFF. A bailiff may attend a hearing by an associate judge if directed by the referring court. Added by Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 20, Sec. 1, eff. April 20, 1995.

Sec. 201.009. COURT REPORTER; RECORD. (a) A court reporter may be provided during a hearing held by an associate judge appointed under this chapter. A court reporter is required to be provided when the associate judge presides over a jury trial or a contested final termination he…

Sec. 201.010. WITNESS. (a) A witness appearing before an associate judge is subject to the penalties for perjury provided by law. (b) A referring court may fine or imprison a witness who: (1) failed to appear before an associate judge after being summoned; or (2) improperly refus…

Sec. 201.011. REPORT. (a) The associate judge's report may contain the associate judge's findings, conclusions, or recommendations and may be in the form of a proposed order. The associate judge's report must be in writing in the form directed by the referring court. (b) After a …

Sec. 201.012. NOTICE OF RIGHT TO DE NOVO HEARING BEFORE REFERRING COURT. (a) Notice of the right to a de novo hearing before the referring court shall be given to all parties. (b) The notice may be given: (1) by oral statement in open court; (2) by posting inside or outside the c…

Sec. 201.013. ORDER OF COURT. (a) Pending a de novo hearing before the referring court, a proposed order or judgment of the associate judge is in full force and effect and is enforceable as an order or judgment of the referring court, except for an order providing for the appoint…

Sec. 201.014. JUDICIAL ACTION ON ASSOCIATE JUDGE'S PROPOSED ORDER OR JUDGMENT. (a) Except as otherwise provided in this subchapter, unless a party files a written request for a de novo hearing before the referring court, the referring court may: (1) adopt, modify, or reject the a…

Sec. 201.015. DE NOVO HEARING BEFORE REFERRING COURT. (a) A party may request a de novo hearing before the referring court by filing with the clerk of the referring court a written request not later than the third working day after the date the party receives notice of: (1) the s…

Sec. 201.016. APPELLATE REVIEW. (a) A party's failure to request a de novo hearing before the referring court or a party's waiver of the right to request a de novo hearing before the referring court does not deprive the party of the right to appeal to or request other relief from…

Sec. 201.017. IMMUNITY. An associate judge appointed under this subchapter has the judicial immunity of a district judge. All existing immunity granted an associate judge by law, express or implied, continues in full force and effect. Added by Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 20, Sec. 1…

Sec. 201.018. VISITING ASSOCIATE JUDGE. (a) If an associate judge appointed under this subchapter is temporarily unable to perform the judge's official duties because of absence or illness, injury, or other disability, a judge of a court having jurisdiction of a suit under this t…

Sec. 201.101. AUTHORITY OF PRESIDING JUDGE. (a) The presiding judge of each administrative judicial region, after conferring with the judges of courts in the region having jurisdiction of Title IV-D cases, shall determine which courts require the appointment of a full-time or par…

Sec. 201.102. APPLICATION OF LAW GOVERNING ASSOCIATE JUDGES. Subchapter A applies to an associate judge appointed under this subchapter, except that, to the extent of any conflict between this subchapter and Subchapter A, this subchapter prevails. Added by Acts 1995, 74th Leg., c…

Sec. 201.1021. QUALIFICATIONS. (a) To be eligible for appointment under this subchapter, a person must be a citizen of the United States, have resided in this state for the two years preceding the date of appointment, and be: (1) eligible for assignment under Section 74.054, Gove…

Sec. 201.103. DESIGNATION OF HOST COUNTY. (a) The presiding judges of the administrative judicial regions by majority vote shall determine the host county of an associate judge appointed under this subchapter. (b) The host county shall provide an adequate courtroom and quarters, …

Sec. 201.104. POWERS OF ASSOCIATE JUDGE. (a) On the motion of a party or the associate judge, an associate judge may refer a complex case back to the judge for final disposition after the associate judge has recommended temporary support. (b) An associate judge may render and sig…

Sec. 201.1041. JUDICIAL ACTION ON ASSOCIATE JUDGE'S PROPOSED ORDER OR JUDGMENT. (a) If a request for a de novo hearing before the referring court is not timely filed or the right to a de novo hearing before the referring court is waived, the proposed order or judgment of the asso…

Sec. 201.1042. DE NOVO HEARING BEFORE REFERRING COURT. (a) Except as provided by this section, Section 201.015 applies to a request for a de novo hearing before the referring court. (b) The party requesting a de novo hearing before the referring court shall file notice with the c…

Sec. 201.1045. PROCEEDINGS AND JUDICIAL ACTIONS BY REMOTE COMMUNICATION. (a) In this section, "remote communication" includes teleconferencing, videoconferencing, and any similar technology. (b) Unless a party files a written objection and except as provided by Subsection (d), an…

Sec. 201.105. COMPENSATION OF ASSOCIATE JUDGE. (a) An associate judge appointed under this subchapter is entitled to a salary in the amount equal to 90 percent of the annual salary paid to a district judge with comparable years of service as the associate judge as set by the Gene…

Sec. 201.106. CHILD SUPPORT COURT MONITOR AND OTHER PERSONNEL. (a) The presiding judge of an administrative judicial region or the presiding judges of the administrative judicial regions, by majority vote, may appoint other personnel, including a child support court monitor for e…

Sec. 201.1065. DUTIES OF CHILD SUPPORT COURT MONITOR. (a) A child support court monitor appointed under this subchapter shall monitor child support cases in which the obligor is placed on probation for failure to comply with the requirements of a child support order. (b) In monit…

Sec. 201.1066. SUPERVISION OF ASSOCIATE JUDGES. (a) The office of court administration shall assist the presiding judges in: (1) monitoring the associate judges' compliance with job performance standards and federal and state laws and policies; (2) addressing the training needs a…

Sec. 201.107. STATE AND FEDERAL FUNDS. (a) The office of court administration may contract with the Title IV-D agency for available state and federal funds under Title IV-D and may employ personnel needed to implement and administer this subchapter. An associate judge, a court mo…

Sec. 201.110. TIME FOR DISPOSITION OF TITLE IV-D CASES. (a) Title IV-D cases must be completed from the time of successful service to the time of disposition within the following time: (1) 75 percent within six months; and (2) 90 percent within one year. (b) Title IV-D cases shal…

Sec. 201.111. TIME TO ACT ON ASSOCIATE JUDGE'S PROPOSED ORDER OR JUDGMENT THAT INCLUDES RECOMMENDED FINDING OF CONTEMPT. (a) Not later than the 10th day after the date an associate judge's proposed order or judgment recommending a finding of contempt is signed, the referring cour…

Sec. 201.112. LIMITATION ON LAW PRACTICE BY CERTAIN ASSOCIATE JUDGES. A full-time associate judge appointed under this subchapter may not engage in the private practice of law. Added by Acts 1999, 76th Leg., ch. 556, Sec. 47, eff. Sept. 1, 1999. Amended by Acts 2003, 78th Leg., c…

Sec. 201.113. VISITING ASSOCIATE JUDGE. (a) The presiding judge of an administrative judicial region may assign a visiting associate judge for Title IV-D cases to perform the duties of an associate judge appointed under this subchapter only if: (1) the associate judge is temporar…

Sec. 201.201. AUTHORITY OF PRESIDING JUDGE. (a) The presiding judge of each administrative judicial region, after conferring with the judges of courts in the region having family law jurisdiction and a child protection caseload, shall determine which courts require the appointmen…

Sec. 201.202. APPLICATION OF LAW GOVERNING ASSOCIATE JUDGES. Except as provided by this subchapter, Subchapter A applies to an associate judge appointed under this subchapter. Added by Acts 1999, 76th Leg., ch. 1302, Sec. 12, eff. Sept. 1, 1999. Amended by: Acts 2007, 80th Leg., …

Sec. 201.2021. QUALIFICATIONS. (a) To be eligible for appointment under this subchapter, a person must be a citizen of the United States, have resided in this state for the two years preceding the date of appointment, and be: (1) eligible for assignment under Section 74.054, Gove…

Sec. 201.203. DESIGNATION OF HOST COUNTY. (a) Subject to the approval of the commissioners court of the proposed host county, the presiding judges of the administrative judicial regions by majority vote shall determine the host county of an associate judge appointed under this su…

Sec. 201.204. GENERAL POWERS OF ASSOCIATE JUDGE. (a) On the motion of a party or the associate judge, an associate judge may refer a complex case back to the referring court for final disposition after recommending temporary orders for the protection of a child. (b) An associate …