Texas Divorce Attorney Blog

Texas Supreme Court Clarifies That CPS Cannot Require a Parent to Divorce to Keep Parental Rights

Published on: August 21, 2026 | by Kelly McClure

A recent opinion from the Texas Supreme Court addresses an important limitation on the State’s authority in parental termination cases involving domestic violence. Although Texas law requires parents to protect their children from abusive environments, the Court reaffirmed that the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) cannot require a parent to divorce an abusive spouse as a prerequisite to retaining parental rights. Rather, termination must rest on the statutory requirements established by the Texas Family Code and the evidence presented in the individual case. In re H.S., B.S., and M.S., Children, No. 24-0307 (Tex. June 5, 2026).

Background of the Case

DFPS became involved with a family following repeated incidents of domestic violence between the parents. The record reflected that the father physically assaulted the mother on multiple occasions, including sexually touching her, threatening her with a firearm, damaging property during violent outbursts, and engaging in self-harming behavior in the presence of the children.

Texas Court Reinforces That Post-Marital Agreements Will Be Enforced as Written

Published on: August 14, 2026 | by Francesca Blackard

A recent Texas appellate decision highlights the importance of carefully drafting post-marital agreements and understanding the obligations created by those agreements. In a recent divorce case, the Fourteenth Court of Appeals considered whether a trial court could modify contractual spousal maintenance provisions and how reimbursement claims should be handled when community funds are used to benefit separate property.

The court held that valid marital agreements must be enforced according to their terms, while also recognizing the financial consequences of the parties’ conduct after signing the agreement. Schuller v. Schuller, No. 14-24-00310-CV, 2025 WL ___ (Tex. App.—Houston [14th Dist.] 2025).

Background of the Case

Recent Case Demonstrates Why Precise Premarital Agreement Language Matters for Business Owners in Texas

Published on: August 10, 2026 | by Kelly McClure

Texas law allows prospective spouses to alter many of the default rules governing marital property through a premarital agreement. When a valid agreement clearly defines how property will be characterized, courts generally enforce those terms rather than rewrite the parties’ bargain to achieve what might otherwise be viewed as a “just and right” result. Tex. Fam. Code §§ 4.001-4.010; Tex. Fam. Code § 7.001.

A recent decision from the Third Court of Appeals illustrates why this principle is particularly important for high-net-worth business owners whose wealth is tied to closely held companies, corporate distributions, and evolving business interests. Henry Hutcherson III v. Tina Hutcherson, No. 03-24-00297-CV (Tex. App.—Austin Mar. 19, 2026).

The Content of the Premarital Agreement

Texas Court Reaffirms the Fit Parent Presumption in Custody Disputes Involving Non-Legal Parents

Published on: August 2, 2026 | by Francesca Blackard

The legal recognition of same-sex marriage has expanded the ways families are formed, but it has not changed the legal requirements for establishing parentage under Texas law. When a child is born during a marriage, and only one spouse is recognized as the child’s legal parent, questions regarding conservatorship and possession can become especially complex if the marriage later ends.

A recent decision from the Fort Worth Court of Appeals illustrates how Texas courts continue to distinguish between a person who has acted as a parent and one who is legally recognized as a parent: In re M.S., No. 02-26-00016-CV (Tex. App.—Fort Worth Mar. 27, 2026, orig. proceeding).

The Dispute Centered on Parentage Rather Than Parenting

Why Financial Tracing Matters More Than Family Testimony in Texas Divorce

Published on: July 27, 2026 | by Kelly McClure

High-net-worth divorces often involve inherited wealth, family gifts, investment accounts, and closely held business interests that one spouse believes should remain separate property. Under Texas law, however, having witnesses assert that an asset is separate property is not enough.

A recent decision from the Texas Third Court of Appeals demonstrates how that burden is applied in practice. In O’Connor v. O’Connor, the court examined whether testimony from multiple family members could establish that mineral interests acquired during the marriage were purchased with the husband’s separate property.

Ultimately, the court concluded that the evidence did not satisfy Texas tracing requirements because the financial documentation left critical gaps. (O’Connor v. O’Connor, No. 03-23-00407-CV, 2025 WL ___ (Tex. App.—Austin July 30, 2025).

Texas Appeals Court Confirms Statutory Bar on Joint Managing Conservatorship After Family Violence Findings

Published on: July 20, 2026 | by Francesca Blackard

Texas custody cases are often decided under the “best interest of the child” standard, which normally gives trial courts broad discretion to shape conservatorship arrangements. But that discretion is not unlimited. In cases involving family violence, the Texas Family Code places a direct restriction on what a court is allowed to order.

Under Texas Family Code § 153.004(b), a court may not appoint joint managing conservators when there is credible evidence of a history or pattern of family violence. The Austin Court of Appeals recently reinforced how strictly that rule applies in H. v. N., holding that once the statutory finding is made, a trial court cannot rely on rehabilitation, elapsed time, or improved behavior to justify joint custody. H. v. N. (Tex. App.—Austin, May 15, 2026).

Factual Background and Trial Court Proceedings

Texas Supreme Court Clarifies Evidence Required to Support Spousal Maintenance Award

Published on: July 13, 2026 | by Kelly McClure

A spouse seeking post-divorce maintenance in Texas must establish that they lack sufficient property to provide for minimum reasonable needs. While that requirement appears straightforward, disputes frequently arise regarding what evidence is necessary to satisfy the statutory standard. In Mehta v. Mehta, the Texas Supreme Court addressed that issue and clarified the type of evidence trial courts may consider when evaluating a request for spousal maintenance. Mehta v. Mehta, No. 23-0507 (Tex. June 20, 2025).

Background of the Case

Hannah and Manish Mehta were married for more than twenty years and had triplets during the marriage. The evidence presented at trial showed that Hannah largely stepped away from the workforce and became the children’s primary caregiver. One of the children suffered from significant medical conditions that required extensive supervision and daily care.

Texas Courts Can Enforce Divorce Settlement Agreements, But They Cannot Rewrite Them

Published on: July 6, 2026 | by Francesca Blackard

Texas law places significant value on the finality of property divisions in divorce. While courts retain authority to clarify and enforce the terms of a settlement agreement incorporated into a divorce decree, they generally lack authority to alter the parties’ substantive property rights after the decree becomes final. A recent opinion from the Waco Court of Appeals highlights how that distinction can shape post-divorce litigation involving disputed settlement language.

The Waco Court of Appeals Decision

In In re Marriage of Lannen, former spouses disputed the meaning of a right-of-first-refusal provision contained in their divorce settlement agreement and incorporated into the final decree. The former wife filed a declaratory judgment action seeking a judicial determination of the parties’ rights under the agreement. The former husband argued that the lawsuit constituted an impermissible collateral attack on the divorce decree.

Texas Appeals Court Holds Family Vacation Expenses May Support Constructive Fraud Claim in Divorce

Published on: July 2, 2026 | by Francesca Blackard

Texas courts have long recognized that one spouse may commit constructive fraud on the community estate by disposing of community assets without the other spouse’s knowledge or consent. A decision from the Houston Fourteenth Court of Appeals demonstrates how broadly that principle may apply.

In Wadhwa v. Wadhwa, the court concluded that expenditures for family vacations could be considered as part of a constructive fraud analysis when those expenditures depleted community assets and were undertaken unilaterally during the divorce proceedings. Wadhwa v. Wadhwa, No. 14-23-00521-CV (Tex. App.—Houston [14th Dist.] July 22, 2025).

The Facts of the Case

Texas Supreme Court Denies Review in Child Custody and Termination Appeal

Published on: June 30, 2026 | by Kelly McClure

The Texas Supreme Court recently denied review in a child custody case, leaving the underlying appellate decision fully intact without a written explanation, in In the Interest of E.A.G., No. 09-24-00174-CV (Tex. App.—Beaumont 2025). The order stresses an important facet of Texas family law: in most custody and parental-rights cases, the court of appeals is effectively the final stop in the litigation process.

The denial also reflects the limited circumstances in which the Texas Supreme Court exercises discretionary review over family law matters, even where the stakes involve termination of parental rights or long-term conservatorship determinations.

The Underlying Appeal