Texas Family Law News
Texas Child Support Increases Sept. 1
Under the Texas Child Support Guidelines, the maximum amount of court-ordered child support increased on September 1, 2019 from $1,710 to $1,840.
Texas Judge Vs. Father’s Rights
A Texas judge was publicly admonished for “overzealous” protection of a child’s interests. The judge has stated, “If I’m going to make an error, I’d [rather] make an error on the side of protecting the child.” The father from whom the judge was protecting the child had his parental rights terminated. This decision was reversed upon appeal.
Family Violence History Now Tracked
As of September 1, a new law requires law enforcement agencies to report Class C family violence offenses (as well as their other reports) to the Department of Public Safety. Burnet County has applied for a grant for a machine that will allow them to keep up with this new requirement.
Read More on BurnetBulletin.com
Myths Around Common-Law Marriage Debunked
An article from the Texas Bar debunks 2 common myths about common-law marriage in Texas.
1. There is no time-frame that a couple must live together in order to be considered in a common-law marriage.
2. There is no such thing as ‘common-law divorce’, since common-law marriages are treated the same as ceremonial marriages, divorce is the same.
Family Law Updates Across the US
Co-Parenting Agreements Unenforceable if Parent Not Biologically Related
A Florida appellate court has determined that co-parenting agreements are unenforceable if one parent is not biologically related to the child. This means that only the parent that is biologically related to the child has parental rights, including the right to withhold time-sharing from the other parent.
Marital Communications Privilege in the Digital Age
The Digital Age has seen all sorts of legal issues pop up. This New York law confirms that marital communications are considered privileged information when intended to be confidential, even if they are not necessarily confidential. This is applicable in the dreaded instance of texting, emailing, or otherwise messaging the wrong person when it was intended for a spouse.
Family Law News Around the World
Romania’s Top Court Rules LGBTQ Couples Should Have Legal Protections
A Romanian high court has determined that LGBT couples should have the same legal and juridical rights as heterosexual couples. This comes before an October 6-7 referendum seeking to limit the definition of ‘family’ to heterosexual, married couples would change the Romanian Constitution.
Read the article on Huffpost.com
