2007 Family Law Cases: Decisions from the Houston Courts of Appeals with Links to Opinions

Appellate opinions handed down by the First Court of Appeals and the Fourteenth Court of Appeals in family law appeals from divorces, SAPCR suits, paternity actions, and other family law proceedings including enforcement and contempt, from trial courts in Harris County (Houston) and surrounding counties: Austin County, Brazoria County, Chambers County, Colorado County, Fort Bend County, Galveston County, Grimes County, Waller County, Washington County. Some probate and CPS termination cases are also included.

Sheik v. Sheikh (Tex.App.- Houston [1st Dist.] Dec. 13, 2007)(Taft)(divorce, receivership, turnover)

Williams v. Williams (Tex.App.- Houston [Nov. 29, 2007)(Fowler)(divorce, prenuptial agreement) Justice Edelman dissented in Williams v. Williams (Tex.App. - Houston [14th Dist.] Nor. 29, 2007)(Dissent by Edelman)(prenup, separate or community property)

Sheikh v. Sheikh (Tex.App.- Houston [1st Dist.] Nov. 1, 2007)(Taft)(divorce, property division, tort damages)

In Re McCormick (Tex.App.- Houston [14th Dist.] Oct. 25, 2007)(per curiam)(divorce property division enforcement, receiver)

Heiskell v. Kendrick (Tex.App.- Houston [14th Dist.] Oct. 26, 2007)(Hedges)(SAPCR, grandparent intervention)

Mohindra v. Mohindra (Tex.App. - Houston [14th Dist.] Oct. 23, 2007)(Fowler)(divorce, fault grounds, unequal division of property, retirement division, QDRO, 401K, IRA retirement funds)

Chapman v. Abbot (Tex.App.- Houston [1st Dist.] Oct. 18, 2007)(Bland)(divorce, life insurance beneficiary)

Alazov . Chmeleva (Tex.App.- Houston [1st Dist.] Oct. 18, 2007)(per curiam)(default divorce, alternative, service, notice of appeal untimely, no jurisdiction to entertain appeal)

O'Connor v. O'Connor, (Tex.App.- Houston [1st Dist.] Sep. 20, 2007)(Dissenting Opinion on motion for rehearing by Justice Bland)(SAPCR, denial of all visitation)

In re Kristin Parks, No. 01-07-00469-CV (Tex.App.- Houston [1st Dist.] Aug. 14, 2007)(Opinion by Justice Bland )(habeas corpus relief granted in family court contempt case)

Parmer v. Hardcastle Parmer (Tex.App.- Houston [1st Dist.] Jul. 19, 2007)(Bland)(divorce, post-answer default, paternity issue)

George v. Jeppesen (Tex.App.- Houston [1st dist.] Jul. 19,2007)(Radack)(MTM, motion to modify prior order in suit affecting the parent-child relationship SAPCR)

Moon v. Lesikar (Tex.App.- Houston [14th Dist.] Jul. 10, 2007)(Hudson)(family trust, standing)
Malekzadeh v. Rebecca Malekzadeh (Tex.App.- Houston [14th Dist.] Jul. 3, 2007)(Hudson)(divorce)

In Re Mohammed Malekzadeh (Tex.App.- Houston [14th Dist.] Jul. 3, 2007)(Hudson)(mandamus)

Hurwitz v. Adler (Tex.App.- Houston [1st Dist] Jun. 28, 2007)(Taft)(probate, settlement agreement, constructive trust)

In re Louis Charles Munks (Tex.App.- Houston [1st Dist] Jun. 28, 2007)(Higley)(mandamus)(child support contempt)

Harris v. Burks (Tex.App.- Houston [1st Dist.] Jun. 21, 2007)(Radack)(SAPCR, default judgment affirmed)

McKay v. DFPS (Tex.App.- Houston [1st Dist.] Jun. 21, 2007)(Jennings)(termination of parental rights)(Jennings)

Zapata v. State (Tex.App.- Houston [1st Dist.] Jun 15, 2007)(Jennings)(criminal case, domestic violence, confrontation clause, hearsay testimony)

In Re Brownhill (Tex.App.- Houston [14th Dist.] Jun. 7, 2007)(Edelman)(child support contempt)

Metzger v. Metzger Westbo (Tex.App.- Houston -1st. Dist.] Jun. 7, 2007, pet. denied 10/26/07)(Taft)(family law, divorce, post-divorce suit for clarification order, limited continuing jurisdiction)

Sambrano v. DFPS (Tex.App.- Houston [1st Dist.] May 31, 2007)(Taft)(CPS, TDFPS, termination of parental rights)

Vazquez v. Maria Vazquez (Tex.App.- Houston [14th Dist.] May 19, 2007)(Seymore)(default divorce decree, restricted appeal)

Hutchison v. Price (Tex.App.- Houston [1st Dist.] May 18, 2007)(untimely appeal, DWOJ)

In Interest of A.A.M. (Tex.App.- Houston [14th Dist.] May 31, 2007)(Guzman)(family law, SAPCR, MTM, father custody)

Zavala v. Zavala (Tex.App.- Houston [14th Dist.] May 31, 2007)(Guzman)(family law, divorce, disproportionate division of property, award of 100% of equity in home, agreement by parties)

In Interest of A.A.M. (Tex.App.- Houston [14th Dist.] May 31, 2007)(Guzman)(SAPCR motion to modify)

Beistel v. Robert Theodore Allen, Jr. (Tex.App.- Houston [1st Dist.] May 31, 2007)(Bland)(family law, child support, termination of wage withholding order]

Sambrano v. DFPS (Tex.App.- Houston [1st Dist.] May 31, 2007)(Taft)(CPS suit to terminate, termination of parental rights, Anders brief)

Office of the Attorney General of Texas v. Joe V. Phillips Tex.App.- Houston [1st Dist.] May 31, 2007)(Hanks)(void judgment, past child support)

Ezirike v. Ezirike (Tex.App.- Houston [1st Dist.] May 17, 2007)(Alcala)(family law, divorce, retirement plan)

O'Connor v. O'Connor (Tex.App.- Houston [1st Dist.] May 17, 2007)(Nuchia)(SAPCR, family law access denial injunction psycho parent, role of amicus attorney for children)

In re Wilson (Tex.App.- Houston [1st Dist.] Apr. 26, 2007)(Hanks)(mandamus, motion to transfer venue, MTV, family law, children six month residency, court of continuing jurisdiction)

Whitworth v. Whitworth (Tex.App.- Houston [1st Dist.] Mar. 16, 2007)(Hanks)(subst. opinion on rehearing)(family law, SAPCR, sole managing conservatorship, SMC, grandparents, standing to intervene)

Miles v. Peacock and AG (Tex.App.- Houston [1st Dist.] Apr. 19, 2007)(Bland)(family law, restricted appeal, default judgment, retroactive child support, paternity, limitations)

Gana v. Gana (Tex.App. - Houston [14th Dist.] Apr. 24, 2007)(Fowler)(family law, divorce, property division reversed)

Dade v. Dade (Tex.App.- Houston [1st Dist.] Apr. 19, 2007)(Hanks)(family law, divorce, QDRO)
Monk v. Pomberg (Tex.App. - Houston [1st. Dist.] Mar. 29, 2007)(Alcala)(subst. opinion on motion for rehearing) (family law, divorce, UDJA, SAPCA, pro se litigants, unrepresented litigants)

Duruji v. Duruji (Tex.App.- Houston [14th Dist.] Feb. 27, 2007)(Fowler)(foreign divorce)

In re Schoelpple (Tex.App.- Houston [14th Dist.] Feb. 13, 2007)(per curiam denial)(family law, SAPCR, grandparent access, effect of nonsuit in main suit on intervention)

In Interest of RAP, II (Tex.App.- Houston [14th Dist.] Jan. 25, 2007)(Yates)(termination of parental rights of mother, father custody)

In the Interest of H.G.H. (Tex.App.- Houston [14th Dist.] Jan. 25, 2007)(Anderson)[termination of parental rights]

Doe v. DFPS (Tex.App.- Houston [1st Dist.] Jan. 16, 2007)(Radack)(CPS, Texas Department of Family and Protective Services, termination of parent's rights)

HOUSTON FAMILY COURTS (DIVORCE COURTS)

Harris County Family Law Center located at 1115 Congress Ave., Houston, TX 77002

245th District Court Judge Annette Kuntz
246th District Court Judge Jim York
247th District Court Judge Bonnie Crane Hellums
257th District Court Judge Judy Warne (Successor to Judge Linda Motheral)
308th District Court Judge Georgia Dempster
309th District Court Judge Frank Rynd
310th District Court Judge Lisa Millard
311th District Court Judge Doug Warne
312th District Court Judge David D. Farr (newly appointed Nov. 28, 2007)

312th District Court Judge James Squier (resigned to run for U.S. House of Representatives)

Other Houston Judges & Courts