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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to attorney's fees in certain postjudgment proceedings. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 9.014, Family Code, is amended to read as |
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follows: |
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Sec. 9.014. ATTORNEY'S FEES. The court may award |
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reasonable attorney's fees [as costs] in a proceeding under this |
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subchapter. The court may order the attorney's fees to be paid |
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directly to the attorney, who may enforce the order for fees in the |
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attorney's own name by any means available for the enforcement of a |
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judgment for debt. |
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SECTION 2. Subchapter B, Chapter 9, Family Code, is amended |
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by adding Section 9.106 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 9.106. ATTORNEY'S FEES. In a proceeding under this |
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subchapter, the court may award reasonable attorney's fees incurred |
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by a party to a divorce or annulment against the other party to the |
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divorce or annulment. The court may order the attorney's fees to be |
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paid directly to the attorney, who may enforce the order for fees in |
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the attorney's own name by any means available for the enforcement |
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of a judgment for debt. |
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SECTION 3. Section 9.205, Family Code, is amended to read as |
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follows: |
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Sec. 9.205. ATTORNEY'S FEES. In a proceeding to divide |
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property previously undivided in a decree of divorce or annulment |
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as provided by this subchapter, the court may award reasonable |
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attorney's fees [as costs]. The court may order the attorney's fees |
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to be paid directly to the attorney, who may enforce the order in |
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the attorney's own name by any means available for the enforcement |
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of a judgment for debt. |
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SECTION 4. The changes in law made by this Act apply only to |
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a proceeding commenced under Chapter 9, Family Code, on or after the |
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effective date of this Act. A proceeding commenced under Chapter 9, |
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Family Code, before the effective date of this Act is governed by |
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the law in effect immediately before that date, and the former law |
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is continued in effect for that purpose. |
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SECTION 5. This Act takes effect September 1, 2007. |