Not every family legal problem in New Braunfels is a divorce or a custody fight, and not every Comal County family case starts with two spouses. Some of the most important moments in a family’s life happen in a courtroom for quieter reasons: a stepparent who has raised a child for years and wants to make it official, a parent responding to a knock on the door from Child Protective Services, an adult who wants a new legal name, or a former spouse who never handed over the retirement share the decree promised.
At New Braunfels Family Law, our family law attorneys handle these matters for people across Comal, Guadalupe, Hays and Kendall counties. This section explains the main types of cases we see outside of divorce and custody, how Texas law treats them, and what a first step usually looks like.
Building or Changing a Family
Texas law gives families several ways to formalize relationships that already exist in everyday life.
- Adoption. Whether a relative is adopting a grandchild, a foster family is finalizing a placement, or one adult is adopting another, an adoption creates a permanent parent-child relationship. Our adoption page walks through the requirements.
- Stepparent adoption. This is the most common adoption we see. It usually depends on ending the other biological parent’s rights, by consent or through a contested case. Read more on stepparent adoption.
- Paternity and parentage. Before a father has court-ordered rights or duties, parentage often has to be established. See paternity.
- Marital agreements. Couples can set their own property rules before or during marriage with prenuptial and postnuptial agreements.
When the State or a Court Is Already Involved
Some family cases begin because someone else started them.
- CPS investigations and removals. When the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services opens a case, the timelines are short and the stakes are high. Our CPS defense page explains what parents can expect and what rights they have.
- Termination of parental rights. Termination is the most serious order a family court can make. It can be voluntary or involuntary, and it is often tied to an adoption or a CPS case. See termination of parental rights.
- Protective orders. If you are facing family violence, or have been served with an application for a protective order, the protective orders page explains the process.
After the Divorce Is Final
A signed decree is supposed to settle things, but life keeps moving.
- Enforcing a decree. If your former spouse has not transferred property, signed a deed, paid a debt as ordered, or cooperated with a retirement division order, Texas law gives you tools to make the decree mean what it says. See enforcing a divorce decree.
- Modifying what can be modified. Child custody, visitation and support can change when circumstances change. Property divisions generally cannot. Our post-divorce modifications page sorts out which is which.
Personal and Legal Identity
A name change for an adult or a child is a separate court case in Texas unless it is handled inside a divorce. It is usually straightforward, but the petition has to include the right information, and changing a child’s name involves both parents.
How These Cases Differ From a Divorce
Many of these matters move on their own timelines and have their own rules:
| Matter | Who usually starts it | What decides the outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Stepparent adoption | The stepparent and the custodial parent | Best interest of the child, plus termination of the other parent’s rights |
| CPS case | The State of Texas through DFPS | Child safety findings, service plan progress and statutory deadlines |
| Name change | The person seeking the change, or a parent | Whether the change is in the person’s or child’s interest and not for an improper purpose |
| Decree enforcement | The former spouse who was shortchanged | What the decree actually says |
| Modification | Either parent, or the attorney general in some support cases | A material and substantial change, and the child’s best interest |
Why a New Braunfels Family Law Attorney Helps
Family cases are decided by local judges, with local clerks and local procedures. We have handled family matters in Comal County and the surrounding counties for more than a decade, and we know how cases move through the courthouses in New Braunfels, Seguin, San Marcos and Boerne. That familiarity does not change the law, but it helps us set realistic expectations and avoid delays.
We offer a free consultation by phone, video or in person. Flat fees are available for many predictable matters, such as uncontested divorces and other matters where the scope is clear from the start, and we explain the cost structure before you commit. See our fees page for details.
Talk With a New Braunfels Family Lawyer
If you live in New Braunfels or anywhere in Comal County and are not sure which of these categories fits your situation, that is normal. Call us at (830) 302-4071 for a free consultation, tell us what is going on, and we will help you sort out the options. Hablamos español.
Family Law topics
Paternity
How Texas establishes legal fatherhood through marriage, acknowledgment or court order, and what changes once paternity is settled.
Read more →Protective Orders
How Texas protective orders work, what they can require, how long they last, and what to do whether you are seeking one or have been served.
Read more →Prenuptial Agreements
What a Texas premarital agreement can and cannot do, how to make one enforceable, and a practical timeline for engaged couples.
Read more →Postnuptial Agreements
How married Texas couples can partition community property, convert separate property, and set terms for the future with a marital agreement.
Read more →Common-Law Marriage
The three elements of a Texas informal marriage, how to prove or disprove one, the two-year presumption, and why ending one takes a divorce.
Read more →Stepparent Adoption
How a stepparent in New Braunfels or Comal County can adopt a spouse's child, including consent, termination and the adoption hearing.
Read more →Adoption
Relative, kinship, foster, agency and adult adoptions in Texas, with the steps New Braunfels and Comal County families can expect.
Read more →Parental Rights Termination
Voluntary and involuntary termination of parental rights in Texas, for parents and caregivers in New Braunfels and Comal County.
Read more →CPS Defense
What parents in New Braunfels and Comal County should know about CPS investigations, removals, service plans and court deadlines in Texas.
Read more →Name Change
How adults and children in New Braunfels and Comal County legally change their names under Texas law, and what to update afterward.
Read more →Enforcing a Decree
Texas tools for making a former spouse follow the property, debt, retirement and support terms of a Comal County divorce decree.
Read more →Post-Divorce Changes
Which parts of a Texas divorce decree can be modified after the fact, the legal standards, and how the process works in Comal County.
Read more →Frequently Asked Questions
What counts as family law in Texas?
Family law covers the legal relationships inside a family: marriage and divorce, parent-child relationships, adoption, paternity, protection from family violence, and changes to existing court orders. Most of these rules live in the Texas Family Code.
Do I need a lawyer for a family law matter that both sides agree on?
The law does not always require one, but agreed cases still need correct paperwork, the right findings and an order a court will sign. A short review now can prevent a rejected filing or an order that is hard to enforce later. See our fees page for how flat fees work.
Which court handles family cases for New Braunfels residents?
Most family cases are filed with the district clerk in the county where the child or the parties live. Because part of New Braunfels lies in Guadalupe County, your case may belong in Guadalupe County rather than Comal County. Our Comal County family court page explains more.
Last reviewed November 13, 2026. General information only, not legal advice.