Enrolled Bill Summary

House Bill 1363 amends the Family Code to establish that, on written agreement of the parties and their attorneys, a dissolution of marriage proceeding or a suit affecting a parent-child relationship may be conducted under collaborative law procedures and sets forth provisions to govern those procedures. If a court is notified 30 days before trial that the parties are using collaborative law procedures, the bill prohibits the court from proceeding with certain trial requirements until a party notifies the court that the collaborative law procedures did not result in a settlement. If the procedures do not result in a settlement on or before the second anniversary of the date the suit was filed, the bill authorizes the court to set the suit for trial on the regular docket or dismiss the suit without prejudice.