shutterstock.com
Due to COVID-19 safety and social distancing mandates, very few family law issues are being heard by judges in person at the Texas family courts. Unfortunately, many Texas citizens and their children now face serious financial and emotional consequences due to delays getting to court—as much as two years! How did we get in this mess, and what can we do about it? The state, judicial branch and family law attorneys need to work together—and aggressively—to find a resolution.
How did the Texas family courts get so backed up?
During the early days of the pandemic, hearings were put on hold. A few months into the pandemic, many judges in the Texas family courts transitioned to Zoom videoconference hearings, which helped move some cases along but not fast enough.