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Texas Family Code - Section 155.001. Acquiring Continuing, Exclusive Jurisdiction

Legal Research Home > Texas Lawyer > Family Code > Texas Family Code - Section 155.001. Acquiring Continuing, Exclusive Jurisdiction

§ 155.001. ACQUIRING CONTINUING, EXCLUSIVE 
JURISDICTION.  (a) Except as otherwise provided by this section, a 
court acquires continuing, exclusive jurisdiction over the matters 
provided for by this title in connection with a child on the 
rendition of a final order.
	(b)  The following final orders do not create continuing, 
exclusive jurisdiction in a court:
		(1)  a voluntary or involuntary dismissal of a suit 
affecting the parent-child relationship;
		(2)  in a suit to determine parentage, a final order 
finding that an alleged or presumed father is not the father of the 
child, except that the jurisdiction of the court is not affected if 
the child was subject to the jurisdiction of the court or some other 
court in a suit affecting the parent-child relationship before the 
commencement of the suit to adjudicate parentage;  and
		(3)  a final order of adoption, after which a 
subsequent suit affecting the child must be commenced as though the 
child had not been the subject of a suit for adoption or any other 
suit affecting the parent-child relationship before the adoption.
	(c)  If a court of this state has acquired continuing, 
exclusive jurisdiction, no other court of this state has 
jurisdiction of a suit with regard to that child except as provided 
by this chapter or Chapter 262.
	(d)  Unless a final order has been rendered by a court of 
continuing, exclusive jurisdiction, a subsequent suit shall be 
commenced as an original proceeding.

Added by Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 20, § 1, eff. April 20, 1995.  
Amended by Acts 1999, 76th Leg., ch. 62, § 6.19, eff. Sept. 1, 
1999;  Acts 2001, 77th Leg., ch. 821, § 2.15, eff. June 14, 2001.

Last modified: August 11, 2007