Francesca Blackard, Author at Texas Divorce Attorney Blog

Challenging False Paternity and Pregnancy Claim in Texas

Published on: October 12, 2026 | by Francesca Blackard

A disputed paternity claim can become particularly complicated when the alleged father questions whether there is a pregnancy at all. That issue received national attention in a recent case where Laura Owens accused former “Bachelor” star Clayton Echard of fathering her alleged twins and initiated a paternity case against him. Although the case arose in Arizona, it raises important questions about how Texas law would apply when both pregnancy and paternity are disputed.

The Laura Owens Paternity Litigation

Owens alleged that she became pregnant after a casual sexual encounter with Echard in May 2023 and claimed she was carrying twins. In August 2023, while she claimed the pregnancy was ongoing, Owens filed a paternity petition alleging Echard was the father.

Interstate Child Custody Jurisdiction in Texas: What a Recent Case Means for Families Facing UCCJEA Conflicts

Published on: September 28, 2026 | by Francesca Blackard

When parents and children have connections to more than one state, determining which state’s courts have authority to decide custody can become a threshold issue in a Texas family law case. The Texas Supreme Court’s recent decision in In re Interest of K.N. illustrates an important distinction under the Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction and Enforcement Act (UCCJEA): a Texas court may still have the authority to decide a custody case even when the specific UCCJEA rule being used to justify the court’s involvement does not apply. In re K.N., No. 24-0881, slip op. at 9–14 (Tex. June 5, 2026).

The Facts of In re K.N.

The case arose from a child-protection proceeding involving four children and repeated allegations of abuse concerning the oldest child. After the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services became involved, the parents were ordered to participate in services, and the trial court ultimately appointed the Department temporary managing conservator.

Texas Appeals Court Sets High Bar for Overturning an “Unconscionable” Prenuptial Agreement

Published on: September 14, 2026 | by Francesca Blackard

Texas courts tend to hold a hard line on enforcing premarital agreements, and a spouse seeking to have it overturned must satisfy the specific requirements established by the Texas Family Code. A recent Dallas appeals court decision illustrates why an agreement will not be invalidated even if one party is disadvantaged at the time of the drafting and signing.

The Potyondy Prenuptial Agreement

Brendan Potyondy and Meredith Potyondy met in Austin. At the time, Brendan worked in the oil and gas industry and had accumulated assets before the marriage, whereas Meredith did not. After numerous drafts, the parties signed a premarital agreement two days before their wedding. Meredith did not have her own attorney representing her in connection with the agreement. In re Marriage of Potyondy, No. 05-24-00312-CV.

Article I, Section 37 of the Texas Constitution: How Texas’s New Constitutional Shield Limits Third-Party Interference in Family Law

Published on: August 28, 2026 | by Francesca Blackard

Texas courts have long recognized that parents have a fundamental right to make decisions concerning the care, custody, and upbringing of their children. Article I, Section 37 of the Texas Constitution formally places those parental rights into the Texas Constitution by affirming that parents have the responsibility to nurture and protect their children and the corresponding fundamental right to exercise care, custody, and control over decisions concerning their children’s upbringing. Tex. Const. art. I, § 37.

Although the amendment does not eliminate a family court’s authority to determine conservatorship, possession, or access issues, it provides additional constitutional protection when courts are asked to restrict a fit parent’s ability to make decisions for a child.

Texas’s Existing Protection of Parental Rights

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

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

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 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 Appeals Court Dismisses Attempted Venue Appeal in Custody Dispute

Published on: June 24, 2026 | by Francesca Blackard

Venue disputes often arise after a parent relocates to another county, particularly when modification or conservatorship proceedings are pending. A recent Texas appellate decision illustrates an important procedural limitation in these cases: even if a party believes the trial court refused to transfer venue improperly, that ruling usually cannot be appealed immediately.

In this case, the Seventh Court of Appeals dismissed an appeal from an order denying a motion to transfer venue in a custody proceeding. The court held that the order was interlocutory (temporary) and therefore not appealable.

The case serves as a reminder that Texas appellate courts generally review only final orders, not interim procedural rulings. That principle has significant consequences in Texas family litigation because parties may be required to litigate an entire custody dispute before obtaining appellate review of an allegedly erroneous venue determination.