Relating to requirements for certain orders and judgments rendered in a suit affecting the parent-child relationship.

Contracts

• Retainer Agreements: Update family law engagement letters to include a clause requiring clients to maintain a functioning, secure email address for court service, even if their physical address is confidential.
• Mediated Settlement Agreements (MSAs): Standard MSA templates must be revised to explicitly state that judgments for attorney's fees will be drafted separately from judgments for child support arrearages to comply with Section 157.263.

Hiring/Training

• Legal Staff Training: Paralegals and associate attorneys must be retrained to stop drafting "omnibus" enforcement orders. They must learn to draft two distinct documents: one for support arrearages (enforceable by contempt/confinement) and one for fees (enforceable as debt).
• Process Servers: Vendors used for service of process must be instructed to prioritize email verification protocols when physical service fails.

Reporting & Record-Keeping

• Diligent Effort Logs: To utilize the new electronic service provision (Section 105.006(f)), firms must maintain a rigorous log of physical service attempts. The court requires a "showing that diligent effort has been made" before accepting email service as valid.
• Safety Exception Documentation: If a client claims the email requirement endangers them, you must document the specific threat vector (e.g., spyware, compromised accounts) to satisfy the court under Section 105.006(c-2).

Fees & Costs

• Drafting Costs: Expect a temporary increase in non-billable hours as firms update document automation software and templates to accommodate the bifurcated judgment requirement.
• Malpractice Exposure: Failure to separate judgments may render enforcement actions voidable, creating liability for legal malpractice.