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Understanding Collin County’s Standing Order for Divorce and Other Family Law Disputes

Rachel Rizzieri Feist | February 20, 2024

Texas couples getting a divorce in Collin County, including many of our clients in Plano and Dallas, are bound by the rules of the county’s standing order, which is automatically applied to every divorce filing. The order is also applied to every suit affecting the parent-child relationship. The standing order is in full force and effect beginning the date that the petition is filed and continuing until a final order is reached, absent interim orders to the contrary.

The Collin County Standing Order, updated in 2023, sets automatic ground rules for the parties’ conduct without stepping foot in court. The rules are intended to protect both parties and any children involved, and to promote fairness and transparency during the divorce process. The Goranson Bain Ausley’s trusted attorneys always emphasize to our clients that they should follow these rules and seek to ensure that opposing counsel does the same.

What’s Included in the Standing Order for Collin County, Texas?

Not every county in Texas has a standing order and requirements will vary from one county to the next. For example, Dallas County and Denton County each have a standing order for family law cases filed in their respective counties. The purpose of each standing order is similar, but the rules differ depending on where you file your case.

It’s important to thoroughly understand the order that applies to your case. Overall, the Collin County standing order for family law cases involving divorce or children is meant to prevent:

• Threatening or harassing the other party
• Hiding, damaging, doctoring, or destroying documentation of property or the property itself
• Selling, mortgaging, or giving away property
• Going into debt, aside from legal expenses
• Taking or spending money from bank accounts, retirement plans, or life insurance policies
• Altering, canceling, or failing to pay the premiums for existing insurance policies
• Tampering with the other person’s mail or finances
• Altering or deleting potentially relevant electronic information
• Canceling or refusing to pay for utility services
• Keeping the other party from using their residence or their vehicle
• Taking a child out of school, changing the child’s residence, or hiding the child from the other parent
• Discussing litigation between parents, either related to their divorce or a child custody dispute, with or in front of their child

How Does the Standing Order in Collin County, Texas, Encourage Transparency?

Under the Collin County standing order, couples appearing in court in any case that could affect a parent-child relationship must promptly produce documentation related to:

1. Net Resources: Parents must provide detailed information regarding their financial resources and ability to pay for child support, regardless of whether that parent anticipates being the one to pay or to receive child support.
2. Financial Status: Each parent must supply copies of their income tax returns for the previous two years, a detailed financial statement, and current pay stubs. This documentation helps form an accurate financial profile for each party.
3. Health Insurance: Parents must provide the carrier’s name, policy number, benefits schedule, insurance cards, and proof of the cost of the child’s health insurance premium.
4. Dental Insurance: Dental insurance details for each child are also required, including information about the carrier, policy number, benefits coverage, dental insurance cards, and cost for the child’s premium.

Having comprehensive financial data enables the court to make equitable and well-informed decisions about child support and other matters relevant to each party’s unique financial situation.

Consult a Skilled Divorce Attorney for Help With Your Case

At Goranson Bain Ausley, our highly respected divorce attorneys take an ethical and constructive approach to each case that prioritizes our clients’ best interests and the needs of any children involved. This includes making sure that clients comply with the relevant standing orders for divorce in Texas counties that have them. For more information regarding Collin County’s standing order, contact us today and we’ll provide you with crucial guidance and personalized support to address your family law needs.