Texas Family Law Information

Overview: Texas Family Law

Family law is the term applied to the laws and rules developed regarding family relationships. Family law rules define not only the relationships between members of a family but also between a family and society as a whole. More than any other area of the law, family law reflects the values society shares regarding how people who are related should treat each other.

When you are faced with an important life decision regarding a key family relationship, a family law attorney at Law Offices of Allan R. Manka, P.C. in San Antonio, Texas, can help you make those decisions.

Texas District Courts

In Texas, the district courts are trial courts of general jurisdiction. Each county is served by at least one district court. In sparsely populated areas, a single district court may serve multiple counties, while a densely populated county may be served by multiple district courts. Most district courts handle criminal and civil cases, but courts located in densely populated areas may specialize in civil, criminal, juvenile, or family law matters. In counties served by a family district court, the family district court has primary responsibility for family law matters. Government Code § 24.601. Family law matters include:

• Adoptions
• Birth records
• Divorce and marriage annulment
• Child welfare, custody, support and reciprocal support, dependency, neglect, and delinquency
• Parent and child
• Husband and wife

The Role of Family Law Attorneys

Typically, family law attorneys assist people in making and breaking family relationships. Depending on the circumstances of the case and the desires of the parties, a family law attorney may use mediation, arbitration, litigation, or collaborative law procedures to help her or his clients to resolve their family law matters. Specific areas of representation include:

• Marriage and relationship planning. Texas favors marriage over co-habitation of unmarried couples and recognizes ceremonial and common law marriages.
• Dissolution of marriage. In Texas, a suit for dissolution of marriage is a suit for divorce, a suit for annulment, or a suit to declare a marriage void.
• Paternity. A paternity suit to establish a parent-child relationship may be necessary before a court may render an order relating to matters such as child custody / visitation or child support.
• Child custody. Whether physical custody of a child should be awarded to one parent or divided between the parents (joint managing conservatorship), and the division under a joint custody arrangement is primarily governed by statute. However, Texas courts have discretion to order child custody arrangements in the best interest of the child.
• Child support. In Texas, a minor has a statutory right to parental support. Matters involving child support, including medical support, are primarily governed by statute.
• Family violence. To stop or prevent family (domestic) violence or dating violence a person in Texas may file an application for a protective order with the court. In general, a request for a protective order will be granted if the court finds that family violence has occurred and is likely to occur in the future.
• Adoption. Adoption creates the legal relationship of parent and child between persons who are not so related. In Texas, adoption generally creates all of the rights and obligations that exist between natural parent and child.

Family relations create a host of legal consequences. Whether you are contemplating marriage or divorce, considering adoption, or seeking relief from family violence, contact a family law attorney at Law Offices of Allan R. Manka, P.C. in San Antonio, Texas, for help in resolving your family law matter.

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