This book is out-of-print and is no longer being supported. Please note the caution at the beginning of the book: “Do not use an old edition of this book! Out-of-date information can cause trouble.”
September 1, 2017
You can continue to use the 15th Edition, dated 2015 – 2017, through August 31, 2019, by noting the following changes to Texas divorce law:
Page 57, item 1c – On written request of either party within 20 days of the child support order, the judge must state the basis for the order. If the support award varied from the guidelines, the judge must state the reason for the departure.
Findings of obligee’s net resources are required only if evidence of such has been offered.
Page 62 – Effective 0/1/17, a child support obligation can be enforced through a lien that attaches to all of obligee’s property that is not exempt from attachment by law, including such things as real estate, bank and investment accounts, retirement plans, IRAs, proceeds of an insurance policy or annuity, a claim for compensation or settlement, proceeds from the sale of oil or gas production from a well in Texas.
January 8, 2016
The Petition form for a Texas divorce was revised to include an option at Item 7 for Property and Debts that an Agreement is anticipated. To download this revised Petition, click here.
December 15, 2015
If you run out of room on any form, use another blank sheet and type at the top “Continuation of (Name of Form)”. Identify each item being continued by labelling it, “Item Number __.” On the form itself, on the last line before you run out of space, type in “see attached continuation of item ___”. Attach the continuation page to the original form.
November 16, 2015
The Bonus CD that comes with the book includes a folder with all the forms in electronic format so you can fill them out and print them using your computer. When you open the file with file name “05 – Ex5 – Medical Support Order” you get the wrong file (you get the Dental Support Order). To download the correct file, click here.
Also, six of the forms on the CD (Petition, Decree, Child Support Order, Income Withholding Order, Waiver of Service, and Information for Server) had fields that should have been fill-able, but were not. We have enabled those fields so you can now fill them out on your computer. To download the set of fixed forms, click here.
What’s new in the 15th Edition — Updated to Sept. 2015
Note: Due to changes in both laws and forms, all earlier editions of this book are obsolete and should not be used after Sept. 1, 2015.
New form: Dental Support Order.
Revised Forms: Petition, Decree, Child Support Order, and Standard Possession Order.
New Tax Charts for 2015 added to the companion CD.
Page 16 – Waiver of Citation must be sworn and notarized in person before a Notary and must contain the mailing address of the person signing.
Page 57 – The new Dental Support Order is required as well as the Medical Support Order.
Page 103 – Waiver of Citation must be sworn and notarized in person before a Notary and must contain the mailing address of the person signing.
Page 115 – Adds instructions for the new Dental Support Order.
On the CD: Latest new and revised forms, updated list of Texas Courts, latest Family Code, 2015 Tax Charts.
What’s new in the 14th Edition — Updated to Sept. 2013
CD included!
The 14th edition comes with a CD that includes the latest version of all forms in the book plus many others for special purposes, a sample Settlement Agreement, court information, the Texas Family Code, Links to resources, worksheets, tax tables and more!
Note: Due to substantial changes in both laws and forms, all earlier editions of this book are obsolete and should not be used after Sept. 1, 2013.
New Tax Charts for 2013 added to the companion CD.
Forms: All forms are new. In addition, the forms are now much easier to use as they can be filled out simply by checking boxes and filling in blanks as instructed by the book. They can be completed either by hand or on any computer (either Windows or Mac).
Highlighting some of the many changes in the 2013 edition
Users no longer prepare the Citation. The clerk does that.
Required notices re: visitation can be given by email
e-Filing is now available, one day to be mandatory (but not yet)
Support is always to be paid through the State Disbursement Unit
Important disclosure language added to the Settlement Agreement
Cases with kids: corrects an error about which form is mandatory and when
Checklists B and C are revised (those in older books are now incorrect)
New form, Case Information Sheet, required with every Petition
The Income Withholding Order (IWO) is different from the one in the previous book and it is now the one to use if you have either child or spousal support.
If you have a written agreement for spousal support, the IWO can be for no more than the limited amount and duration that could have been ordered under Texas law.