Tex. Fam. Code § 152.208 · Subchapter C. JURISDICTION
JURISDICTION DECLINED BY REASON OF CONDUCT.
Text — Current through the 89th 2nd Called Legislative Session, 2025
(a) Except as otherwise provided in Section 152.204 or other law of this state, if a court of this state has jurisdiction under this chapter because a person seeking to invoke its jurisdiction has engaged in unjustifiable conduct, the court shall decline to exercise its jurisdiction unless:
(1) the parents and all persons acting as parents have acquiesced in the exercise of jurisdiction;
(2) a court of the state otherwise having jurisdiction under Sections 152.201 through 152.203 determines that this state is a more appropriate forum under Section 152.207; or
(3) no court of any other state would have jurisdiction under the criteria specified in Sections 152.201 through 152.203.
(b) If a court of this state declines to exercise its jurisdiction pursuant to Subsection (a), it may fashion an appropriate remedy to ensure the safety of the child and prevent a repetition of the unjustifiable conduct, including staying the proceeding until a child custody proceeding is commenced in a court having jurisdiction under Sections 152.201 through 152.203.
(c) If a court dismisses a petition or stays a proceeding because it declines to exercise its jurisdiction pursuant to Subsection (a), it shall assess against the party seeking to invoke its jurisdiction reasonable and necessary attorney's fees, court costs, and expenses including communication expenses, investigative fees, expenses for witnesses, travel expenses, and child care during the course of the proceedings, unless the party from whom fees are sought establishes that the assessment would be clearly inappropriate. The court may not assess fees, costs, or expenses against this state unless authorized by law other than this chapter.
Notes and commentary — not statutory text
History
Added by Acts 1999, 76th Leg., ch. 34, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1999.
Amended by:
Acts 2025, 89th Leg., R.S., Ch. 593 (H.B. 2524), Sec. 23, eff. September 1, 2025.
Source of truth
- Edition
- Current through the 89th 2nd Called Legislative Session, 2025
- Official file
- https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/FA/htm/FA.152.htm
- Text hash
- sha256 5f3705128e306059a902f6f21efb323e21663e97ac8e8f895525a58cd7ac2830
- Composed by
- compose_tx.py 2026-10-05: the Legislative Council's chapter files read in document order; verify_tx.py's independent reading (lxml DOM walk) agrees character for character
This section cites
Provisions in this library that the text above cites, as it prints each citation. A range cited as “ss. 61.13-61.16” links its first and last provisions.
Family Code
- Tex. Fam. Code § 152.201INITIAL CHILD CUSTODY JURISDICTION.Printed as Sections 152.201 through 152.203
- Tex. Fam. Code § 152.203JURISDICTION TO MODIFY DETERMINATION.Printed as Sections 152.201 through 152.203
- Tex. Fam. Code § 152.204TEMPORARY EMERGENCY JURISDICTION.Printed as Section 152.204
- Tex. Fam. Code § 152.207INCONVENIENT FORUM.Printed as Section 152.207
Cited by 1 provision
Provisions in this library whose text cites Tex. Fam. Code § 152.208. Each shows the citation as that text prints it.
Procedural information only. Not legal advice and not a substitute for the advice of an attorney. Confirm the current text with the official publisher before relying on it.