Texas Family Courts
The purpose of this white paper is for the Texas Conservative Coalition Research Institute (TCCRI) to analyze and recommend policies that improve the efficacy of the family court system related to consistency of case proceedings; the timeliness of final case resolution; the collection, reporting, and publicizing of judicial performance; public court and family law attorneys’ scorecards, and state resources and taxpayers’ dollars expended on prolonged family law proceedings.
Areas of efficiency include:
Standards for disposition under Rule 6, Texas Rules of Judicial Administration.
The 2025 streamlining of family violence orders in divorce proceedings and Suits Affecting the Parent Child Relationship (SAPCR).
The 1975 institutionalization of the Title IV-D Child Support Masters System.
A robust Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) structure currently built into the Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code.
Mandatory pre-trial mediation mandates by local county rules.
Texas family courts have shown the following inefficiencies:
Docket congestion from prolonged proceedings.
Lack of judicial accountability for timeliness of case disposition and disclosure of personal and/or financial relationships with parties, attorneys, and third-party appointments before the court.
Lack of attorney accountability for timeliness of case disposition and disclosure of personal and/or financial relationships with parties, attorneys, and third-party appointments before the court.
Lack of public awareness surrounding the various alternative dispute resolution options available to parties by current Texas statute.
Public costs associated with elongated family court litigation.
Finally, the recommendations in this paper target the following areas:
Docket Congestion & Judicial Waste. This recommendation addresses the below topics:
“Shot clock” deadlines
mandatory ADR
licensed legal professionals (LLPs)
case review panels
Early Neutral Evaluation Model (ENE)- Minnesota
Family Interpretation Transition Model (FIT)
Filing Requirements Transparency. This recommendation considers a consistent requirement across all Texas courts to publish a list of the basic necessary documents that parties are required to file along with their initial pleadings.
Publicized ADR Options. This proposal recognizes the lack of visibility for ADR opportunities other than mediation and arbitration.
Judicial Transparency & Accountability. This proposal targets areas where mandatory disclosure of personal and financial relationships with parties, attorneys, and third-party appointed representatives should be considered. Additionally, the connection between inefficient court processes and delayed final disposition of family law cases will be covered.
Attorney Transparency & Accountability. This recommendation suggests ways to hold the attorneys accountable for their actions in delaying the timely disposition of family cases.
Read the full white paper in the link above.
