Tex. Fam. Code § 155.001-155.005

TEXAS FAMILY CODE Chapter 155, Subchapter A — CONTINUING, EXCLUSIVE JURISDICTION CHAPTER 155 • CONTINUING, EXCLUSIVE JURISDICTION; TRANSFER Subchapter A: CONTINUING, EXCLUSIVE JURISDICTION FAMILY CODE > TITLE 5. THE PARENT-CHILD RELATIONSHIP AND THE SUIT AFFECTING THE PARENT-CHILD RELATIONSHIP > SUBTITLE B. SUITS AFFECTING THE PARENT-CHILD RELATIONSHIP > CHAPTER 155. CONTINUING, EXCLUSIVE JURISDICTION; TRANSFER Sec. 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, Section 103.001(b), or Chapter 262. (d) Unless a final order has been rendered by a court of continuing, exclusive j n of a suit with regard to that child except as provided by this chapter, Section 103.001(b), 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, Sec. 1, eff. April 20, 1995. Amended by Acts 1999, 76th Leg., ch. 62, Sec. 6.19, eff. Sept. 1, 1999; Acts 2001, 77th Leg., ch. 821, Sec. 2.15, eff. June 14, 2001. Amended by: Acts 2015, 84th Leg., R.S., Ch. 944 (S.B. 206), Sec. 10, eff. September 1, 2015. Sec. 155.002. RETAINING CONTINUING, EXCLUSIVE JURISDICTION. Except as otherwise provided by this subchapter, a court with continuing, exclusive jurisdiction retains jurisdiction of the parties and matters provided by this title. Added by Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 20, Sec. 1, eff. April 20, 1995. Amended by Acts 1999, 76th Leg., ch. 62, Sec. 6.20, eff. Sept. 1, 1999. Sec. 155.003. EXERCISE OF CONTINUING, EXCLUSIVE JURISDICTION. (a) Except as otherwise provided by this section, a court with continuing, exclusive jurisdiction may exercise its jurisdiction to modify its order regarding managing conservatorship, possessory conservatorship, possession of and access to the child, and support of the child. (b) A court of this state may not exercise its continuing, exclusive jurisdiction to modify managing conservatorship if: (1) the child's home state is other than this state; or (2) modification is precluded by Chapter 152. (c) A court of this state may not exercise its continuing, exclusive jurisdiction to modify possessory conservatorship or possession of or access to a child if: (1) the child's home state is other than this state and all parties have established and continue to maintain their principal residence outside this state; or Source: Texas Legislature Online (89th Leg., 2nd Called Sess. her than this state and all parties have established and continue to maintain their principal residence outside this state; or Source: Texas Legislature Online (89th Leg., 2nd Called Sess., 2025) Page 1 --- TEXAS FAMILY CODE Chapter 155, Subchapter A — CONTINUING, EXCLUSIVE JURISDICTION (2) each individual party has filed written consent with the tribunal of this state for a tribunal of another state to modify the order and assume continuing, exclusive jurisdiction of the suit. (d) A court of this state may not exercise its continuing, exclusive jurisdiction to modify its child support order if modification is precluded by Chapter 159. Added by Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 20, Sec. 1, eff. April 20, 1995. Sec. 155.004. LOSS OF CONTINUING, EXCLUSIVE JURISDICTION. (a) A court of this state loses its continuing, exclusive jurisdiction to modify its order if: (1) an order of adoption is rendered by another court in an original suit filed as described by Section 103.001(b); (2) the parents of the child have remarried each other after the dissolution of a previous marriage between them and file a suit for the dissolution of their subsequent marriage combined with a suit affecting the parent-child relationship as if there had not been a prior court with continuing, exclusive jurisdiction over the child; or (3) another court assumed jurisdiction over a suit and rendered a final order based on incorrect information received from the vital statistics unit that there was no court of continuing, exclusive jurisdiction. (b) This section does not affect the power of the court to enforce its order for a violation that occurred before the time continuing, exclusive jurisdiction was lost under this section. Added by Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 20, Sec. 1, eff. April 20, 1995. Amended by Acts 1997, 75th Leg., ch. 575, Sec. 8, eff. Sept. 1, 1997. Amended by: Acts 2015, 84th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1 (S.B. 219), Sec. 1.050, eff. April 2, 2015. Acts 20 Sec. 1, eff. April 20, 1995. Amended by Acts 1997, 75th Leg., ch. 575, Sec. 8, eff. Sept. 1, 1997. Amended by: Acts 2015, 84th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1 (S.B. 219), Sec. 1.050, eff. April 2, 2015. Acts 2019, 86th Leg., R.S., Ch. 136 (H.B. 1854), Sec. 1, eff. September 1, 2019. Sec. 155.005. JURISDICTION PENDING TRANSFER. (a) During the transfer of a suit from a court with continuing, exclusive jurisdiction, the transferring court retains jurisdiction to render temporary orders. (b) The jurisdiction of the transferring court terminates on the docketing of the case in the transferee court. Added by Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 20, Sec. 1, eff. April 20, 1995. Source: Texas Legislature Online (89th Leg., 2nd Called Sess., 2025) Page 2