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Texas Statutes (Last Updated: January 4, 2014) |
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FAMILY CODE |
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Title 5. THE PARENT-CHILD RELATIONSHIP AND THE SUIT AFFECTING THE PARENT-CHILD RELATIONSHIP |
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Subtitle C. JUDICIAL RESOURCES AND SERVICES |
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Chapter 201. ASSOCIATE JUDGE |
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Subchapter B. ASSOCIATE JUDGE FOR TITLE IV-D CASES |
Sec. 201.101. AUTHORITY OF PRESIDING JUDGE
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(a) The presiding judge of each administrative judicial region, after conferring with the judges of courts in the region having jurisdiction of Title IV-D cases, shall determine which courts require the appointment of a full-time or part-time associate judge to complete each Title IV-D case within the time specified in this subchapter.
(b) The presiding judge may limit the appointment to a specified time period and may terminate an appointment at any time.
(c) An associate judge appointed under this subchapter may be appointed to serve more than one court. Two or more judges of administrative judicial regions may jointly appoint one or more associate judges to serve the regions.
(d) If the presiding judge determines that a court requires an associate judge for Title IV-D cases, the presiding judge shall appoint an associate judge for that purpose. Except as provided under Subsection (e), if an associate judge is appointed for a court under this subchapter, all Title IV-D cases shall be referred to the associate judge by a general order for each county issued by the judge of the court for which the associate judge is appointed, or, in the absence of that order, by a general order issued by the presiding judge who appointed the associate judge. Referral of Title IV-D cases may not be made for individual cases or case by case.
(e) If a county has entered into a contract with the Title IV-D agency under Section 231.0011, enforcement services may be directly provided by county personnel as provided under Section 231.0011(d), including judges and associate judges of the courts of the county.