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Paris v. Paris
, No. 02-25-00235-CV (2026)
Case details
Country
United States
Jurisdiction
Federal
Decided
2026
Disposition
Affirmed
Panel
Birdwell (J.); Womack (J.); Walker (J.)
In
the
Court
of
Appeals
Second
Appellate
District
of
Texas
at
Fort
Worth
___________________________
No.
02
-
25
-
00235
-
CV
___________________________
On
Appeal
from
the
442nd
District
Court
Denton
County,
Texas
Trial
Court
No.
23-
9180-
442
Before
Birdwell,
Womack,
and
Walker
,
JJ.
Memorandum
Opinion
by
Justice
Birdwell
A
USTIN
P
ARIS
,
Appellant
V
.
A
LEXANDRA
P
ARIS
,
Appellee
2
MEMORANDUM
OPINION
Appellant
Austin
Paris
(Husband)
,
acting
pro
se,
appeals
from
a
divorce
decree
dissolving
h
is
marriage
to
appellee
Alexandra
Paris
(
Wife).
1
In
what
amounts
to
three
issues
,
2
Husband
argue
s
that
the
trial
court
abused
its
discretion
by
(1)
restricting
his
possession
of
and
access
to
the
couple’s
children
because
the
record
contains
no
evidence
that
he
has
committed
family
violence
against
the
children
or
poses
a
present
danger
to
them
and
because
the
trial
court’s
findings
that
he
has
a
history
or
pattern
of
alcohol
and
substance
abuse
are
not
supported
by
the
record
,
(2)
awarding
Wife
$
37,738.59
in
attorney’s
fees
,
3
and
(3)
awarding
Wife
a
$10,000
.00
judgment
against
1
The
divorce
decree
changed
Wife’s
name
to
Alexandra
Wood.
But
because
the
decree
was
styled
using
her
married
name,
we
likewise
use
her
married
name.
See,
e.g.
,
Mamoe
v.
Mamoe
,
No.
03
-
23-
00258
-
CV,
2024
WL
4137329,
at
*
1
n.1
(Tex.
App.
—
Austin
Sept.
11,
2024,
no
pet.)
.
2
Husband
filed
an
opening
brief
and
a
supplemental
brief.
In
his
supplemental
brief,
Husband
enumerates
six
issues.
But
because
his
first
four
issues
all
pertain
to
the
overarching
issue
of
whether
the
trial
court
abused
its
discretion
by
limiting
his
possession
and
access
to
the
couple’s
children,
we
will
treat
these
issues
as
a
single
complaint.
See
In
re
K.G.
,
No.
02
-
23
-
00180
-
CV,
2024
WL
273505,
at
*2
n.2
(Tex.
App.
—
Fort
Worth
Jan.
25,
2024,
no
pet.)
(treating
several
of
appellant’s
enumerated
appellate
issues
as
a
single
complaint
because
they
“all
present[ed]
the
same
legal
question”)
.
3
The
decree
also
awarded
Wife
a
judgment
against
Husband
in
the
amount
of
$8,509.50
for
unpaid
attorney’s
fees
that
the
trial
court
had
previously
assessed
at
a
hearing
on
Wife’s
motion
to
enforce
certain
child
-
support
and
other
temporary
orders.
But
Husband
does
not
challenge
this
judgment
on
appeal.
3
him
for
damage
that
he
caused
to
a
community
-
owned
vehicle
that
was
awarded
to
Wife
.
4
For
the
reasons
set
forth
below,
we
will
affirm.
I.
B
ACKGROUND
Husband
and
Wife
married
in
May
2019
;
they
have
three
child
ren
(the
Children)
.
I
n
October
2023
,
the
couple
separated,
an
d
Wife
filed
a
petition
for
divorce
and
an
application
for
a
protective
order
.
In
her
petition
(as
subsequently
amended),
Wife
alleged
that
Husband
had
“a
history
or
pattern
of
committing
family
violence
during
the
two
-
year
period
preceding”
the
divorce
case’s
filing
and
that
he
had
a
history
of
alcohol
abuse.
Based
on
these
allegations,
she
requested
that
she
be
4
All
of
Husband’s
issues
suffer
from
some
degree
of
inadequate
briefing.
Thus,
he
has
arguably
forfeited
all
of
his
appellate
issues.
See
Tex.
R.
App.
P.
38.1(i);
Huey
v.
Huey
,
200
S.W.3d
851,
854
(Tex.
App.
—Dallas
2006,
no
pet.)
(admonishing
that
the
“[f]ailure
to
cite
applicable
authority
or
provide
substantive
analysis
waives
an
issue
on
appeal”);
see
also
Fredonia
State
Bank
v.
Gen.
Am.
Life
Ins.
Co.
,
881
S.W.2d
279,
284
(Tex.
1994)
(observing
that
error
may
be
waived
by
inadequate
briefing)
;
McKinnon
v.
Wallin
,
No.
03
-
17-
00592
-
CV,
2018
WL
3849399,
at
*2–
3
(Tex.
App.
—Austin
Aug.
14,
2018,
pet.
denied)
(holding
that
pro
se
appellant
had
waived
his
issues
by
inadequate
briefing)
;
cf.
Smale
v.
Williams
,
590
S.W.3d
633,
639
(Tex.
App.
—Texarkana
2019,
no
pet.)
(“The
law
is
well
settled
that
‘[a]
party
proceeding
pro
se
must
comply
with
all
applicable
procedural
rules’
and
is
held
to
the
same
standards
as
a
licensed
attorney.”
(quoting
Paselk
v.
Rabun
,
293
S.W.3d
600,
611
(Tex.
App.
—Texarkana
2009,
pet.
denied)))
.
Despite
his
inadequate
briefing
,
we
will
address
the
merits
of
Husband’s
complaints
to
the
extent
possible
.
See
Eco
Planet,
LLC
v.
ANT
Trading
,
No.
05
-
19
-
00239
-
CV,
2020
WL
6707561,
at
*5
(Tex.
App.
—Dallas
Nov.
16,
2020,
pet.
denied)
(Osborne,
J.,
concurring)
(“Appellate
courts
have
the
discretion
to
waive
issues
for
inadequate
briefing.”
(first
citing
Fredonia
State
Bank
,
881
S.W.2d
at
284;
and
then
citing
Horton
v.
Stovall
,
591
S.W.3d
567,
569
–
70
(Tex.
2019)
)
);
cf.
Perry
v.
Cohen
,
272
S.W.3d
585,
587
(Tex.
2008)
(“[A]ppellate
courts
should
reach
the
merits
of
an
appeal
whenever
reasonably
possible.”).
4
appointed
the
Children’s
sole
managing
conservator
and
that
Husband
be
denied
access
to
them.
Husband
filed
both
an
answer
generally
denying
Wife’s
allegations
and
a
counterpetition
for
divorce.
In
his
counterpetition
(as
subsequently
amended),
he
requested
that
he
and
Wife
be
appointed
as
the
C
hildren’s
joint
managing
conservators.
In
November
2023,
the
trial
court
heard
Wife’s
protective-
order
application.
After
considering
the
evidence,
the
trial
court
found
that
Husband
had
committed
family
violence
and
was
likely
to
do
so
again
in
the
future.
Based
on
these
findings,
it
signed
a
protective
order
granting
Wife
exclusive
possession
of
the
Children
and
prohibiting
Husband
from,
among
other
things,
going
within
500
feet
of
“any
location”
where
Wife
or
the
Children
are
known
to
be
or
“communicating
in
any
manner”
with
them
“except
through
[Wife’s]
attorney
or
AppClose.”
5
Husband
claims
that
he
has
not
had
any
in
-
person
contact
with
the
Children
since
before
the
protective
order
was
signed.
5
Husband
unsuccessfully
challenged
the
protective
order
in
a
separate
appeal.
See
generally
Paris
v.
Paris
,
No.
02
-
25
-
00236
-
CV,
2025
WL
2679333
(Tex.
App.
—Fort
Worth
Sept.
18,
2025,
no
pet.).
Although
the
present
appeal
concerns
only
the
divorce
proceeding,
we
take
judicial
notice
of
the
record
in
the
related
appeal
from
the
protective
order.
See
In
re
C.B.
,
No.
02
-
25
-
00026
-
CV,
2025
WL
728233,
at
*2
n.6
(Tex.
App.
—
Fort
Worth
Mar.
6,
2025,
orig.
proceeding
[mand.
denied])
(noting
that
appellate
court
may
take
judicial
notice
of
record
in
prior
related
appeal);
Trevino
v.
Pemberton
,
918
S.W.2d
102,
103
n.2
(Tex.
App.
—Amarillo
1996,
orig.
proceeding)
(recognizing
that
an
appellate
court
may
take
judicial
notice
of
its
own
records
in
a
related
proceeding
involving
the
same
or
nearly
the
same
parties)
.
5
In
December
2024,
the
trial
court
conducted
a
one
-
day
bench
trial
in
the
divorce
proceeding
.
Based
on
the
evidence
presented,
the
trial
court
signed
a
divorce
decree
that,
among
other
things,
named
Wife
the
Children’s
sole
managing
conservator,
named
Husband
a
possessory
conservator,
awarded
Wife
the
couple’s
2015
Toyota
Tundra
as
well
as
a
$10,000.00
judgment
against
Husband
for
damage
that
he
had
caused
to
the
vehicle,
and
awarded
Wife
$37,738.59
in
attorney’s
fees.
The
decree
explicitly
states
that
it
does
not
supersede
the
protective
order
and
provides
that
“no
in
-
person
visitations
between
[Husband]
and
the
[C]hildren
shall
occur
until
A
ll
Protective
O
rders
against
[Husband]
in
protection
of
[Wife
and
the
Children]
have
expired
[
6
]
.
.
.
and
Husband
has
completed
a
.
.
.
Batter
[
er
]
s
Intervention
and
Prevention
Program.”
The
decree
provides
for
scheduled
electronic
communication
between
Husband
and
the
Children
for
fifteen
minutes
each
Sunday
;
sets
forth
step
-
up
procedures,
including
reunification
therapy,
that
Husband
must
complete
before
being
able
to
have
unsupervised
visits
with
the
Children
;
and
requires
him
to
undergo
drug
and
alcohol
testing.
At
Husband’s
request,
the
trial
court
issued
findings
of
fact
and
conclusions
of
law.
This
appeal
ensued
.
6
Following
the
bench
trial,
the
trial
court
signed
a
modified
final
protective
order
that
does
not
expire
until
December
13,
2026.
6
II.
D
ISCUSSION
A.
Restrictions
on
Husband’s
Rights
to
Possess
and
Access
the
Children
In
what
we
deem
to
be
Husband’s
first
issue,
he
contends
that
the
trial
court
abused
its
discretion
by
restricting
his
possession
of
and
access
to
the
Children
because
the
record
contains
no
evidence
that
he
has
committed
family
violence
against
them
and
because
the
trial
court’s
findings
that
he
has
a
history
or
pattern
of
alcohol
and
substance
abuse
are
not
supported
by
the
record.
We
disagree.
1.
Applicable
Law
and
Standard
of
Review
We
review
a
trial
court
’
s
decisions
on
custody,
control,
possession,
and
visitation
matters
for
an
abuse
of
discretion.
See
Gillespie
v.
Gillespie
,
644
S.W.2d
449,
451
(Tex.
1982);
In
re
M.P.B.
,
257
S.W.3d
804,
811
(Tex.
App.
—Dallas
2008,
no
pet.);
see
also
In
re
W.M.
,
172
S.W.3d
718,
724
(Tex.
App.
—
Fort
Worth
2005,
no
pet.)
(reasoning
that
the
trial
court
has
“wide
latitude
in
determining
the
best
interests
of
a
minor
child”).
To
determine
whether
a
trial
court
abused
its
discretion,
we
must
decide
whether
the
court
acted
without
reference
to
any
guiding
rules
or
principles;
in
other
words,
we
must
decide
whether
the
act
was
arbitrary
or
unreasonable.
Low
v.
Henry
,
221
S.W.3d
609,
614
(Tex.
2007);
Cire
v.
Cummings
,
134
S.W.3d
835,
838
–
39
(Tex.
2004);
W.M.
,
172
S.W.3d
at
725.
An
appellate
court
cannot
conclude
that
a
trial
court
abused
its
discretion
merely
because
the
appellate
court
would
have
ruled
differently
in
the
same
circumstances.
E.I.
du
Pont
de
Nemours
&
Co.
v.
Robinson
,
923
S.W.2d
549,
558
7
(Tex.
1995);
see
Low
,
221
S.W.3d
at
620.
We
must
be
cognizant
that
the
trial
court
is
in
a
better
position
to
decide
custody
cases
because
“it
faced
the
parties
and
their
witnesses,
observed
their
demeanor,
and
had
the
opportunity
to
evaluate
the
claims
made
by
each
parent.”
In
re
J.R.D.
,
169
S.W.3d
740,
743
(Tex.
App.
—Austin
2005,
pet.
denied).
A
trial
court
is
required
to
“
consider
the
commission
of
family
violence
.
.
.
in
determining
whether
to
deny,
restrict,
or
limit
the
possession
of
a
child
by
a
parent
who
is
appointed
as
a
possessory
conservator
.”
Tex.
Fam.
Code
§
153.004(c).
A
trial
court
“may
not
allow”
a
parent
to
have
access
to
a
child
for
whom
“
there
is
a
history
or
pattern
of
committing
family
violence
during
the
two
years
preceding
the
date
of
the
filing
of
the
suit
or
during
the
pendency
of
the
suit
”
unless
the
trial
court
(1)
“
fin
ds
that
awarding
the
parent
access
to
the
child
would
not
endanger
the
child
’
s
physical
health
or
emotional
welfare
and
would
be
in
the
best
interest
of
the
child
”
and
(2)
“
renders
a
possession
order
that
is
designed
to
protect
the
safety
and
well
-
being
of
the
child
and
any
other
person
who
has
been
a
victim
of
family
violence
committed
by
the
parent.
”
Id.
§
153.004(d)
,
(d
-
1)
.
There
“
is
a
rebuttable
presumption
that
it
is
not
in
the
best
interest
of
a
child
for
a
parent
to
have
unsupervised
visitation
with
the
child
if
credible
evidence
is
presented
of
a
history
or
pattern
of
past
or
present
.
.
.
abuse
or
family
violence
by
.
.
.
that
parent.”
Id.
§
153.004(e).
The
best
interest
of
the
child
is
always
the
primary
consideration
in
determining
issues
of
conservatorship
and
possession.
See
id.
§
153.002.
Accordingly,
“[a]
trial
8
court
does
not
abuse
its
discretion
in
restricting
a
parent
’
s
possession
when
the
record
contains
some
evidence
to
support
a
finding
that
such
restrictions
are
in
the
child
’
s
best
interest.”
Nikolenko
v.
Nikolenko
,
No.
01
-
20
-
00284
-
CV,
2022
WL
479988,
at
*16
(Tex.
App.
—Houston
[1st
Dist.]
Feb.
17,
2022,
pet.
denied)
(citing
In
re
P.A.C.
,
498
S.W.3d
210,
219
(Tex.
App.
—Houston
[14th
Dist.]
2016,
pet.
denied))
;
see
Butnaru
v.
Ford
Motor
Co.
,
84
S.W.3d
198,
211
(Tex.
2002)
;
W.M.
,
172
S.W.3d
at
725
.
2.
Analysis
Here,
the
trial
court
determined
that
it
was
in
the
Children’s
best
interests
to
p
rohibit
Husband
from
having
any
in
-
person
contact
with
them
until
the
protective
order
expired;
to
allow
only
electronic
communication
between
Husband
and
the
Children
in
the
interim;
and
to
establish
step
-
up
procedures
that
Husband
must
complete,
including
reunification
therapy,
before
he
is
allowed
to
have
unsupervised
visits
with
the
Children.
The
trial
court
based
this
determination
on
Husband’s
“history
or
pattern
of
substance
abuse,
alcohol
abuse[,]
and
committing
family
violence.”
Husband
argues
that
the
trial
court
abused
its
discretion
by
restricting
his
rights
to
possess
and
access
the
Children
because
the
record
contains
no
evidence
that
he
engaged
in
aggressive
or
physically
abusive
behavior
towards
them
.
But
physical
child
abuse
is
not
a
prerequisite
to
the
restriction
of
a
parent’s
possession
and
access
rights,
and
the
record
contains
substantial
evidence
that
Husband
had
committed
acts
of
family
violence
towards
Wife
and
that
these
acts
had
caused
the
Children
to
suffer
9
psychological
harm.
See
In
re
Marriage
of
Waters
,
No.
07
-
25
-
00057
-
CV,
2025
WL
3223989,
at
*3
(Tex.
App.
—Amarillo
Nov.
18,
2025,
no
pet.)
(affirming
divorce
decree’s
restrictions
on
wife’s
possession
of
and
access
to
children
because,
inter
alia,
the
record
contained
“a
plethora
of
evidence
of
emotional
abuse
and
developmental
trauma
suffered
by
the
children
at
[her]
hands”)
;
In
re
L.M.M.
,
No.
03
-
04
-
00452
-
CV,
2005
WL
2094758,
at
*11
(Tex.
App.
—Austin
Aug.
31,
2005,
no
pet.)
(“In
light
of
the
evidence
that
[appellant]
had
caused
mental
and
emotional
damage
to
her
children
over
the
last
decade,
it
was
reasonable
for
the
trial
court
to
determine
that
limitations
needed
to
be
placed
on
her
rights
of
possession.”)
.
Specifically,
the
record
includes
the
following
:
•
The
testimony
of
the
court
-
appointed
psychological
evaluator,
Dr.
Sandra
Roland,
7
that
she
had
reviewed
and
discussed
with
Husband
certain
videotapes
provided
by
Wife
and
that
these
videotapes
showed
Husband’s
“
violence
[,]
.
.
.
inappropriate
language
,”
and
“
extreme
7
I
n
his
opening
brief,
Husband
argued
that
Dr.
Roland
should
not
have
been
allowed
to
testify
because
her
testimony
was
“unreliable
and
inadmissible”
under
Rule
702
of
the
Texas
Rules
of
Evidence
and
because
Wife
had
not
properly
disclosed
her
as
an
expert.
See
Tex.
R.
Evid.
702;
Tex.
R.
Civ.
P.
19
4a.2(f).
But
Husband
cited
to
nothing
in
the
record
showing
that
he
had
raised
a
Rule
702
complaint
in
the
trial
court
or
that
he
had
requested
Wife
to
designate
and
disclose
information
concerning
testifying
expert
witnesses
under
procedural
Rule
195a.1.
See
Tex.
R.
App.
P.
33.1(a),
38.1(i);
see
also
Tex.
R.
Evid.
702;
Tex.
R.
Civ.
P.
195a.1
(providing
that
in
a
suit
governed
by
the
Family
Code,
“[a]
party
may
request
another
party
to
designate
and
disclose
information
concerning
testifying
expert
witnesses
only
through
.
.
.
a
disclosure
request
.
.
.
or
.
.
.
a
deposition
or
report
permitted
by
this
rule”).
Husband
did
not
address
these
arguments
in
his
supplemental
brief.
Thus,
we
conclude
that
Husband
has
forfeited
his
complaints
concerning
Dr.
Roland’s
testimony
either
by
failing
to
preserve
them
or
to
adequately
brief
them.
See
Huey
,
200
S.W.3d
at
854
.
10
aggression
.
.
.
in
.
.
.
situation
[s]
where
the
children
were
there
witnessing
it
”
;
•
Dr.
Roland’s
testimony
that
even
though
the
Children
did
not
“actually
receive
[]
any
physical
violence
or
aggression
from
[Husband],”
they
“
were
traumatized
by
th
e
domestic
violence
within
the
home”;
•
Dr.
Roland’s
report
in
which
she
noted
that
“the
level
of
aggression”
reflected
in
certain
audio
and
video
recordings
provided
by
Wife
“was
very
concerning”
and
opined
that
the
recordings
“
may
support
a
claim
of
psychological
maltreatment
in
the
home
by
[Husband]”;
•
Wife’s
testimony
that
Husband
had
“been
abusive”
multiple
times
throughout
their
marriage
and
that
he
had
punched
her
and
“slapped
the
s
[
**
]
t
out
of
her”;
and
•
Wife’s
testimony
describing
an
incident
—part
of
which
was
captured
on
video
—
in
which
Husband
strangled
her,
lunged
at
her,
locked
her
out
of
their
bedroom,
and
then
forced
her
to
get
naked
and
perform
oral
sex
on
him
while
their
one-
year
-
old
child
was
in
the
room
.
Husband
also
argues
that
the
trial
court’s
findings
that
he
has
a
history
of
substance
and
alcohol
abuse
are
supported
by
insufficient
evidence
because
the
record
contains
no
expert
diagnosis,
drug
-
test
results,
or
other
substance
-
abuse
evaluation
concluding
that
he
has
an
alcohol
-
or
substance
-
abuse
disorder.
But
Husband
cites
no
authority
to
support
his
contention
that
such
evidence
is
required
,
s
ee
Tex.
R.
App.
P.
38.1(i)
,
nor
are
we
aware
of
any
such
authority
.
Wife
testified
that
Husband
has
“an
alcohol
problem,”
that
he
had
been
arrested
for
public
intoxication,
that
she
had
seen
him
smoke
marijuana,
that
she
had
witnessed
him
drink
daily,
and
that
he
“get[s]
violent”
when
he
drinks.
Thus,
the
record
contains
sufficient
evidence
to
support
the
trial
court’s
finding
that
Husband
has
a
history
or
pattern
of
substance
11
and
alcohol
abuse.
8
See
Roa
v.
Roa
,
970
S.W.2d
163
,
165
(Tex.
App.
—
Fort
Worth
1998,
no
pet.)
(“
Generally,
there
is
no
abuse
of
discretion
when
there
is
some
evidence
to
support
the
trial
court
’
s
finding
on
an
issue
of
fact.
”).
Given
the
totality
of
the
record,
we
conclude
that
there
is
some
evidence
to
support
the
trial
court’s
determination
that
restricting
Husband’s
possession
and
access
rights
is
in
the
Child
ren’s
best
interest
s
.
Therefore,
the
trial
court
did
not
abuse
its
discretion
by
imposing
these
restrictions
.
See
Tex.
Fam.
Code
§
153.004(c),
(d),
(d
-
1)
;
Nikolenko
,
2022
WL
479988,
at
*16;
P.A.C.
,
498
S.W.3d
at
219
–
20;
see
also
Vanderbol
v.
Vanderbol
,
No.
02
-
23
-
00230
-
CV,
2024
WL
1925141,
at
*
10
(Tex.
App.
—
Fort
Worth
May
2,
2024,
pet.
denied)
(holding
that
trial
court
had
not
abused
its
discretion
by
restricting
and
conditioning
appellant’s
rights
to
possess
and
access
his
child
because
the
record
contained
some
evidence
that
the
restrictions
were
in
the
child’s
best
interest).
We
overrule
Husband’s
first
issue.
B.
Attorney’s
Fees
In
what
we
deem
to
be
Husband’s
second
issue,
he
contends
that
the
trial
court
abused
its
discretion
by
awarding
Wife
$37,738.59
in
attorney’s
fees.
We
disagree.
8
Husband
also
argues
that
there
is
nothing
in
the
record
showing
that
his
alcohol
or
substance
abuse
“endangered
the
children”
or
“impaired
his
parenting.”
But,
as
noted,
Wife
testified
that
Husband’s
drinking
had
contributed
to
the
violent
behavior
that
had
psychologically
harmed
the
Children
.
12
1.
Applicable
Law
and
Standard
of
Review
I
n
a
divorce
proceeding,
the
trial
court
may
award
reasonable
attorney
’
s
fees
and
expenses.
Tex.
Fam.
Code
§
6.708(c);
Walther
v.
Walther
,
No.
02
-
25
-
00048
-
CV
,
2026
WL
706435,
at
*12
(Tex.
App.
—
Fort
Worth
Mar.
12,
2026,
no
pet.
h.).
We
review
a
trial
court’s
decision
to
make
such
an
award
for
an
abuse
of
discretion
.
Bocquet
v.
Herring
,
972
S.W.2d
19,
21
(Tex.
1998)
;
s
ee
Seitz
v.
Seitz
,
608
S.W.3d
272,
279
(Tex.
App.
—
Houston
[1st
Dist.]
2020,
no
pet.)
(recognizing
that
“[a]
trial
court
has
broad
discretion
in
deciding
whether
to
award
reasonable
attorney
’
s
fees
”
in
a
divorce
case).
The
reasonableness
of
the
fees
is
a
fact
question
and
must
be
supported
by
the
evidence.
Fuentes
v.
Zaragoza
,
555
S.W.3d
141,
172
(Tex.
App.
—
Houston
[1st
Dist.]
2018,
no
pet.);
see
Russell
v.
Russell
,
478
S.W.3d
36,
48
(Tex.
App.
—Houston
[14th
Dist.]
2015,
no
pet.)
(“The
reasonableness
of
attorney
’
s
fees
is
ordinarily
left
to
the
factfinder,
and
a
reviewing
court
may
not
substitute
its
judgment
for
the
fact
[]
finder
’
s.”).
“
The
party
seeking
the
fees
has
the
burden
of
proof
and
should
address
(1)
the
nature
o
f
the
work,
(2)
who
performed
it
and
their
respective
rates,
(3)
when
the
services
were
performed,
and
(4)
the
number
of
hours
worked.”
Ralls
v.
Funk
,
592
S.W.3d
178,
187
(Tex.
App.
—
Tyler
2019,
pet.
denied)
(citing
El
Apple
I,
Ltd.
v.
Olivas
,
370
S.W.3d
757,
762
–
63
(Tex.
2012)
).
To
be
sufficient,
the
evidence
must
show
the
time
spent
on
specific
tasks.
See
Long
v.
Griffin
,
4
4
2
S.W.3d
253,
254
–
255
(Tex.
2014)
.
13
2.
Analysis
Husband
challenges
the
attorney’s
fees
award
on
several
grounds,
none
of
which
has
merit.
First,
seizing
on
the
trial
court’s
statement
that
Wife’s
counsel’s
attorney’s
fees
were
not
“segregated
enough”
to
be
“enforceable
as
child
support”
and
would
therefore
“just”
be
awarded
as
“a
judgment,”
Husband
asserts
that
the
divorce
decree
conflicts
with
the
trial
court’s
oral
ruling
by
characterizing
the
attorney’s
fees
as
child
support.
But
contrary
to
Husband’s
assertion,
the
divorce
decree
does
not
treat
the
challenged
attorney’s
fees
as
child
support
.
R
ather
—in
accordance
with
the
trial
court’s
oral
ruling
—it
merely
awards
Wife
a
judgment
against
Husband
for
the
awarded
fees.
9
Second,
Husband
argues
that
the
attorney’s
fees
award
was
improper
because
Wife’s
father
—who,
according
to
Wife’s
testimony,
had
paid
at
least
a
portion
of
her
attorney’s
fees
—
had
actually
incurred
the
fees.
But
Husband’s
argument
conflates
paying
fees
with
incurring
them.
As
the
Texas
Supreme
Court
has
explained,
a
party
incurs
fees
when
an
attorney
provides
legal
services
on
her
behalf.
See
Graco,
Inc.
v.
CRC,
Inc.
of
Tex.
,
47
S.W.3d
742,
745
(Tex.
2001)
.
Accordingly,
a
party
may
recover
9
This
judgment
is
separate
and
distinct
from
the
additional
judgment
awarded
to
Wife
for
child
-
support
arrearages.
14
attorney’s
fees
even
if
someone
else
has
paid
them.
10
See
id.
at
745–
46
(holding
that
collateral
source
rule
applied
to
award
of
attorney’s
fees
and
upholding
the
award
because
the
appellee
had
incurred
the
fees
even
though
its
insurer
had
paid
them)
.
Finally,
Husband
argues
that
the
record
contains
insufficient
evidence
to
support
the
award
of
attorney’s
fees.
But
Wife’s
counsel
submitted
an
affidavit
and
detailed
billing
records
that,
taken
together,
described
the
nature
of
the
work
performed,
identified
the
professionals
who
performed
the
work
and
their
respective
billing
rates,
showed
when
the
work
was
performed,
and
reflected
the
total
number
of
hours
worked
as
well
as
the
time
spent
on
specific
tasks.
Accordingly,
the
record
contains
sufficient
evidence
to
support
the
award
of
attorney’s
fees.
See
Long
,
4
4
2
S.W.3d
at
255
;
Ralls
,
592
S.W.3d
at
187.
We
overrule
Husband’s
second
issue.
10
Husband
cites
Jackson
v.
Jackson
,
624
S.W.3d
630,
639
(Tex.
App.
—Houston
[1st
Dist.]
2021,
no
pet.)
,
for
the
proposition
that
“[f]ees
paid
by
a
third
party
are
not
recoverable
absent
evidence
that
the
party
remains
legally
obligated
to
repay
those
fees.”
However,
we
have
been
unable
to
locate
this
case
on
Westlaw;
thus,
it
appears
to
be
either
an
incorrect
or
AI
-
hallucinated
citation.
To
the
extent
that
Husband
argues
that
a
party
cannot
recover
attorney’s
fees
that
have
already
been
paid,
we
reject
that
argument.
See
Robertson
v.
Robertson
,
217
S.W.2d
132,
136–
37
(Tex.
App.
—
Fort
Worth
1949,
no
writ
)
(affirming
award
of
attorney’s
fees
to
appellee
in
divorce
proceeding
even
though
the
“undisputed
testimony
show[ed]
that
she
had
already
paid
the
fees
at
the
time
of
trial”)
;
cf.
Nova
Cas.
Co.
v.
Turner
Constr.
Co.
,
335
S.W.3d
698,
706
(Tex.
App.
—Houston
[14th
Dist.]
2011,
no
pet.)
(op.
on
reh’g)
(holding
that
trial
court
had
not
abused
its
discretion
by
awarding
prejudgment
interest
on
the
portion
of
awarded
attorney’s
fees
that
appellee
had
already
paid
prior
to
the
trial
court’s
judgment).
15
C.
Judgment
for
Damages
to
Toyota
Tundra
In
what
we
deem
to
be
Husband’s
third
issue,
he
contends
that
the
trial
court
abused
its
discretion
in
its
division
of
the
community
estate
by
awarding
Wife
a
$10,000.00
judgment
for
damage
that
he
caused
to
the
community
-
owned
Toyota
Tundr
a
.
We
disagree.
1.
Applicable
Law
and
Standard
of
Review
Considering
both
parties
’
rights,
a
trial
court
is
charged
with
dividing
the
community
estate
in
a
“just
and
right”
manner.
Tex.
Fam.
Code
§
7.001
;
Watson
v.
Watson
,
286
S.W.3d
519,
522
(Tex.
App.
—
Fort
Worth
2009,
no
pet.)
.
But
a
property
division
need
not
be
equal
to
satisfy
the
just
-
and
-
right
standard.
See
In
re
Marriage
of
Mozley
,
No.
06
-
16
-
00004
-
CV,
2016
WL
4256926,
at
*3
(Tex.
App.
—Texarkana
Aug.
12,
2016,
no
pet.)
(citing
Murff
v.
Murff
,
615
S.W.2d
696,
699
(Tex.
1981)
)
.
“Because
the
standards
for
dividing
a
community
estate
involve
the
exercise
of
sound
judgment,
a
trial
court
must
be
accorded
much
discretion
in
its
decision.”
Bradshaw
v.
Bradshaw
,
555
S.W.3d
539,
543
(Tex.
2018)
.
“The
division
‘should
be
corrected
on
appeal
only
where
an
abuse
of
discretion
is
shown
in
that
the
disposition
made
of
some
property
is
manifestly
unjust
and
unfair.’”
Id.
(quoting
Hedtke
v.
Hedtke
,
248
S.W.
21,
23
(Tex.
1923)).
“The
appellate
court
cannot
merely
reweigh
the
evidence.”
Id.
Rathe
r,
“we
view
the
evidence
in
a
light
most
favorable
to
the
court
’
s
decision
and
indulge
every
legal
presumption
in
favor
of
its
judgment.”
In
re
Marriage
of
Ford
,
435
S.W.3d
347,
350
(Tex.
App.
—Texarkana
2014,
no
pet.).
16
Thus,
while
“
legal
and
factual
sufficiency
are
relevant
factors
in
assessing
whether
the
trial
court
abused
its
discretion
,
.
.
.
they
are
not
independent
grounds
of
error.”
In
re
Marriage
of
Williams
,
No.
06
-
18-
00041
-
CV,
2018
WL
6424245,
at
*
4
n.7
(Tex.
App.
—
Texarkana
Dec.
7,
2018,
pet.
denied)
(citations
omitted);
accord
Tran
v.
Nguyen
,
480
S.W.3d
119,
131
(Tex.
App.
—Houston
[14th
Dist.]
2015,
no
pet.)
.
A
trial
court
does
not
abuse
its
discretion
if
there
is
some
evidence
of
a
substantive
and
probative
na
ture
to
support
the
property
division
.
Tran
,
480
S.W.3d
at
131;
Williams
v.
Williams
,
No.
2
-
06
-
143
-
CV,
2007
WL
79698,
at
*1
(Tex.
App.
—
Fort
Worth
Jan.
11,
2007,
no
pet.)
(citing
Butnaru
v.
Ford
Motor
Co.
,
84
S.W.3d
at
211
(Tex.
2002)
).
2.
Analysis
Husband
argues
that
the
record
contains
insufficient
evidence
to
support
the
$10,000.00
judgment
for
damage
that
he
caused
to
the
Toyota
Tundra
because
the
repair
invoice
that
Wife
offered
into
evidence
reflected
total
charges
of
only
$4,061.26.
But
Wife
testified
that
the
invoice
did
not
cover
the
full
extent
of
the
damage
and
that
Husband
had
further
diminished
the
vehicle’s
value
by
removing
various
off
-
road
parts,
including
a
winch,
“some
low
bars[,]
and
some
light
bars.”
She
estimated
that
the
full
ex
tent
of
the
repair
costs
and
diminution
in
value
was
approximately
$10,000.00.
Cf.
Reid
Road
Mun.
Utility
Dist.
No.
2
v.
Speedy
Stop
Food
Stores,
Ltd.,
337
S.W.3d
846,
852
–
53
(Tex.
2011)
(“
Generally,
a
property
owner
is
qualified
to
testify
to
the
value
of
her
property
even
if
she
is
not
an
expert
and
would
not
be
qualified
to
testify
to
the
value
of
other
property.
”
(citing
Porras
v.
Craig,
17
675
S.W.2d
503,
504
(Tex.
1984))
).
Thus,
the
record
contains
some
evidence
of
a
substantive
and
probative
nature
to
support
the
$10,000.00
judgment;
accordingly,
we
cannot
conclude
that
it
constitutes
an
abuse
of
discretion
.
See
Tran
,
480
S.W.3d
at
131;
Williams
,
2007
WL
79698,
at
*1
.
We
overrule
Husband’s
third
issue.
11
III.
C
ONCLUSION
Having
overruled
all
of
Husband’s
issues,
we
affirm
the
trial
court’s
divorce
decree.
/s/
Wade
Birdwell
Wade
Birdwell
Justice
Delivered:
June
25,
2026
11
In
Husband’s
original
brief,
he
complained
that
the
trial
court
had
improperly
divested
him
of
his
separate
property
because
certain
parts
that
he
had
purportedly
purchased
prior
to
marriage
had
been
placed
on
the
Toyota
Tundra
,
which
was
awarded
to
Wife
.
But
he
did
not
address
this
argument
in
his
supplemental
brief,
and
the
supporting
record
citations
that
he
included
in
his
original
brief
fail
to
demonstrate
the
parts’
separate
character.
Accordingly,
we
hold
that
Husband
has
forfeited
this
complaint
due
to
inadequate
briefing,
s
ee
Tex.
R.
App.
P.
38.1(i);
Huey
,
200
S.W.3d
at
854
,
and
has
not
carried
his
burden
to
show
that
the
parts
were
his
separate
property
.
Additionally,
in
his
original
brief,
Husband
complained
that
the
trial
court
failed
to
compensate
him
for
Wife’s
having
purportedly
committed
“constructive
fraud”
by
selling
a
community
-
owned
pet
without
his
consent
.
However,
Husband
did
not
address
this
complaint
in
his
supplemental
brief,
and
his
original
brief
contains
no
record
citations
showing
that
he
raised
it
in
the
trial
court.
See
Tex.
R.
App.
P.
33.1(a),
38.1(i).
Accordingly,
we
conclude
that
Husband
has
forfeited
this
complaint
either
by
failing
to
preserve
it
or
by
failing
to
adequately
brief
it.
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