By:  Dutton (Senate Sponsor - West)                               H.B. No. 887
	(In the Senate - Received from the House April 7, 2003; 
April 9, 2003, read first time and referred to Committee on 
Jurisprudence; May 8, 2003, reported favorably by the following 
vote:  Yeas 6, Nays 0; May 8, 2003, sent to printer.)


A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT


relating to the award of attorney's fees and expenses in a suit 
affecting the parent-child relationship.
	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:                        
	SECTION 1.  Section 106.002, Family Code, is amended to read 
as follows:     
	Sec. 106.002.  ATTORNEY'S FEES AND EXPENSES. (a)  In a suit 
under this title, the court may render judgment for [order] 
reasonable attorney's fees and expenses [as costs] and order the 
judgment and postjudgment interest [fees] to be paid directly to an 
attorney.
	(b)  A judgment for [An award of] attorney's fees and 
expenses may be enforced in the attorney's name by any means 
available for the enforcement of a judgment for debt.
	SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2003, and 
applies to a suit affecting the parent-child relationship pending 
in a trial court on that date or filed on or after that date.



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