Texas Bar Exam - Family Law Question and answer 100% correct 2023Requirements to prove Common law marriage (Informal Marriage)
no minor ACHE
1. neither party can be a minor
2. agreement to be married
3. cohabitation - lived together in TX
4. held themselves out as husband and wife in TX
5. ev...
Texas Bar Exam - Family Law Question
and answer 100% correct 2023
Requirements to prove Common law marriage (Informal Marriage) - correct answer
*no minor ACHE*
1. neither party can be a minor
2. agreement to be married
3. cohabitation - lived together in TX
4. held themselves out as husband and wife in TX
5. evidence of their agreement (circumstantial ok)
* if an action to prove CL marriage is not brought within 2y after the parties separated,
the rebuttable presumption is that they had not agreed to be married
Grounds for annulment of marriage
(MI-72, CIFI) - correct answer 1. Minors got married w/o parental consent or a court
order (S/L to bring suit --- if brought by parents - anytime before minors turn 18; --- if
brought by minor's next friend - 90 days)
2. Concealed divorce (hid the fact that person got divorced less than 30 days before
marriage. S/L - 1yr)
3. Impotency
4. Incompetency
5. Fraud, duress, force
6. Married under the influence of alcohol/drugs (MUI)
7. Got married during the 72h waiting period after getting a marriage license. [Except if,
active duty military; waived by court; complete pre-marital course] - S/L 30 days
For 2-6, parties *must not* have co-habitated after finding out about the relevant facts
Divorce: where to file - correct answer To file for divorce in TX, one party must have
been domiciled in TX for 6 months
Divorce: venue - correct answer Spouse can bring the suit in a county where the other
has resided for 90 days
Divorce: what to file - correct answer 1. Petition must state whether a protective order
for family violence is in effect.
2. If there are minor children, parties must also join a SAPCR - suit affecting parent-
child relationship
Grounds for divorce (fault)
CAFA - correct answer 1. Abandonment (with intent to leave; stayed away for at least
1 year)
2. Cruelty (course of conduct)
, 3. Adultery
4. Felony conviction (and jailed for a year)
Grounds for divorce (no fault)
Irreconcilable
3 separate
3 loony bin - correct answer 1. marriage has become insupportable due to conflict of
personalities, no chance for reconciliation (irreconcilable differences)
2. they've been living apart for 3 years (no matter the cause)
3. confinement in a loony bin for 3 years
Divorce (division of property) - correct answer 1. Court must have PJ over both parties
if it's going to divide property outside of TX
2. J&R division
3. characterize property first (community or separate?)
4. Court can't award one spouse's separate property to the other (abuse of discretion -
reversible error)
5. Spouses are entitled to division of community property *at the time of divorce*
Divorce (Settlement agreement) - correct answer If parties themselves reach a
*written* settlement agreement, and the court finds it J&R, it must approve it.
BUT, the court may not revise the agreement itself.
MUST ask the parties to do it.
Spousal maintenance (what must the spouse requesting SM show?) - correct answer
1. the other spouse has committed an act of violence, during or before filing of the
divorce petition; OR
2. they've been married for at least 10y* and the requesting spouse is unable to earn
enough income for his/her min. reasonable needs (MRN); OR
3. he/she can't earn enough because of his/her incapacitating disability; OR
4. he/she provides care for a child with a disability which takes up a substantial amount
of time because of which he/she can't earn enough income to meet his/her MRN
*can be less if the spouse from whom SM is sought was convicted of (or got deferred
adjudication for) family violence either within 2y preceding the divorce or during its
pendency)
SM is presumed not warranted unless the requesting spouse can also show: - correct
answer 1. he/she has exercised diligence is trying to earn more, or
2. is developing the skills to provide for his/her MRN
Factors the court will consider before awarding SM - correct answer 1. each spouse's
ability to provide for his/her own MRN
2. education/employment/skills or the time required to acquire it;
3. duration of marriage;
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