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Every party seeking conservatorship, possession or access in a SAPCR or modification must complete a four-to-twelve-hour parent education and family stabilization course meeting Texas Family Code § 105.009 (petitioner within 31 days of filing, respondent within 31 days of first appearance or answer), offered by a qualified mental-health professional or religious practitioner, with a certificate of completion; non-completion may be sanctioned by contempt, striking pleadings or Rule 215 sanctions but does not delay judgment, and the assigned judge may waive the course for good cause.
Applies to every party seeking conservatorship, possession or access in a suit affecting the parent-child relationship (including modifications) in McMullen County before the 36th, 156th or 343rd District Court or the 2nd Multicounty Court at Law (the same order governs the other four counties). Supersedes the May 5, 2023 edition registered by Aransas (doc 1415). Procedural information only; not legal advice.
SAN PATRICIO, ARANSAS, BEE, LIVE OAK AND MCMULLEN COUNTY FAMILY LAW COURTS STANDING ORDER REGARDING PERSONS SEEKING CONSERVATORSHIP IN FAMILY LAW CASES — 36th, 156th and 343rd District Courts, San Patricio County Court at Law No. 1 and No. 2 and Aransas County Court at Law and 2nd Multicounty Court at Law. Pursuant to the inherent powers of the Court, and Section 105.009 of the Texas Family Code, the Courts hereby find that the best interest of the children of parties involved in a suit affecting the parent-child relationship, including an action to modify an order in a suit affecting the parent-child relationship providing for possession of or access to a child, hereby Orders that the parties involved to successfully attend and complete a parent education and family stabilization course. The parties to the suit are not required to attend the course together. The course must be at least four (4) hours, but not more than twelve (12) hours, in length and be designed to educate and assist parents with regard to the consequences of divorce on parents and children. The course must include information on the following issues. (1) The emotional effects of divorce on parents; (2) The emotional and behavioral reactions to divorce by young children and adolescents; (3) Parenting issues relating to the concerns and needs of children at different development stages; (4) Stress indicators in young children and adolescents; (5) Conflict management; (6) Family stabilizations through development of a co-parenting relationship; (7) The financial responsibilities of parenting; (8) Family violence, spousal abuse, and child abuse and neglect; and (9) The availability of community services and resources. The course satisfies the requirements of the Courts if it is offered by: (1) A mental health professional who has at least a master's degree with a background in family therapy or parent education; or (2) A religious practitioner who performs counseling consistent with the laws of this state or another person designated as a program counselor by a church or religious institution, if the litigant so chooses. Information obtained in a course or a statement made by a participant to a suit during a course may not be considered in the adjudication of the suit or in any subsequent legal proceeding. Any report that results from participation in the course may not become a record in the suit unless the parties stipulate to the record in writing. The Court may take appropriate action with regard to a party who fails to attend or complete a course ordered by the Court under this section, including holding the party in contempt of court, striking pleadings, or invoking any sanction provided by Rule 215, Texas Rules of Civil Procedure. The failure or refusal by a party to attend or complete a course required by this section may not delay the Court from rendering a judgment in a suit affecting the parent-child relationship. The Course required under this section may be completed by: (1) Personal instruction; (2) Videotape instruction; (3) Instruction through an electronic medium; or (4) A combination of those methods. On completion of the course, the course provider shall issue a certificate of completion to each participant. The certificate must state: (1) The name of the participant; (2) The name of the course provider; (3) The date the course was completed; and (4) Whether the course was provided by; (a) Personal instruction; (b) Videotape instruction; (c) Instruction through an electronic medium; or (d) A combination of those methods. The course shall be successfully completed by the petitioner or movant within 31 days of filing of the original motion or complaint, and by the respondent within 31 days of respondent's first appearance or by the filing of an answer or waiver by the respondent. For good cause shown on Motion by a party, the assigned judge may waive the requirement of completion of this program in individual cases. THIS STANDING ORDER REGARDING PERSONS SEEKING CONSERVATORSHIP IN FAMILY LAW CASES SHALL BECOME EFFECTIVE ON June 15, 2026. Hon. Starr B. Bauer, 36th District Court Judge; Hon. Boyd W. Bauer, 156th District Court Judge; Hon. Janna K. Whatley, 343rd District Court Judge; Hon. Elizabeth Welborn, San Patricio County Court at Law No. 1; Hon. Viki Hesseltine Martino, San Patricio County Court at Law No. 2; Hon. Richard P. Bianchi, Aransas County Court at Law; Hon. Harvey Hardwick, Live Oak County Court at Law.
SAN PATRICIO, ARANSAS, BEE, LIVE OAK AND MCMULLEN COUNTY FAMILY LAW COURTS STANDING ORDER REGARDING PERSONS SEEKING CONSERVATORSHIP IN FAMILY LAW CASES — 36th, 156th and 343rd District Courts, San Patricio County Court at Law No. 1 and No. 2 and Aransas County Court at Law and 2nd Multicounty Court at Law. Pursuant to the inherent powers of the Court, and Section 105.009 of the Texas Family Code,
Reviewer note: Composed 2026-09-07 from the TOPICs custody scan (three image-only pages read in full through the vision lane). Seven current signers, so no single judge join. McMullen County edition composed from San Patricio's registration (the shared-instrument doctrine); the 2026 edition adds the 2nd Multicounty Court at Law (Bee, Live Oak, McMullen) to the issuing courts. McMullen County registered nothing on TOPICs; the 2026 edition names the 2nd Multicounty Court at Law, which serves McMullen.
A standing order of the 97th Judicial District Court sealing the files in cases in which Child Protective Services or the Department of Family and Protective Services appears as petitioner, in the counties comprising the 97th Judicial District.
Dallas County Standing Order Regarding Children, Pets, Property and Conduct of the Parties (Family District Courts General Orders, current edition F2026/05, revised Jan. 31, 2026 — a re-adoption of the same operative text by the current bench: Hon. Kim Brown (254th), Vonda Bailey (255th), Sandre Streete (256th), Ashley Wysocki (301st), Sandra Jackson (302nd), LaDeitra Adkins (303rd), and Andrea D. Plumlee (330th)), as registered in the statewide TOPICs local-rules registry (posted 01/11/2023). The order "applies in every divorce suit and every suit affecting the parent-child relationship filed in Dallas County" automatically, without request: child-disruption prohibitions, pet protection, party-conduct restraints, divorce-case property/records/insurance freezes with specific authorizations, mandatory petition attachment, and its TRO-to-temporary-injunction lifecycle.