Dallas Divorce Lawyer Blog
What is a standing order?
New standing orders were issued from Dallas County on January 1, 2017. If you are familiar with any type of family law case in recent years, especially in Dallas County, hopefully you are familiar with what “standing orders” are in general. If you need a refresher, they are basically orders that the judges agree are a good thing to apply to all family law cases that must be attached to any petitions filed in the county. The standing orders apply to the parties while the case is pending. In the broad sense, the standing orders are meant to prevent the parties from acting badly while a divorce is ongoing.
To see the full standing orders, please follow this link: Dallas County Standing Orders.
What is in the standing orders?
Most of the things in the standing orders are actually things that you would get in trouble for regardless of whether there was an order telling you not to do each thing. Such as, harming an animal, being harassing to the other party, threatening any party, causing bodily injury to a child, or falsifying a writing or record relating to the property of either party. Some of the other things prohibited by the standing orders are a limit on either party that prevents them from changing the school that any child involved in the case goes to and an order that bans the making of disparaging remarks regarding the other party within the presence of the child.
Some of the divorce specific provisions include numerous provisions that have to do with preserving any money or property, an order that requires the preservation of records, and an order that prevents either party from cashing out any insurance policies. The standing orders specifically allow a party to engage in their usual business, spend reasonable and necessary living expenses, and incur debt related to the suit they are involved in.
What does this mean for my case?
If you are involved in a family law case in Dallas County you are subject to the standing orders that have been attached to your petition. There can be serious consequences for failing to follow the standing orders. If you have any questions or concerns about a divorce in Dallas County please contact Guest and Gray today and we can discuss your options and how the standing orders may impact your case.