At the age of 12, Margaret LeAnn Rimes may have had one of the most powerful voices in country music. But when it came to cutting her own recording deal, she was virtually powerless. Under Texas law, contracts signed by children are unenforceable.
Parents have rights to their children's earnings and services.
Through a haphazard process, they can contract their children's services to recording and film production companies. The terms of the contract were never properly explained to me until recently. . . . This is not fair. The increasing number of contract-bearing child performers is creating pressure on Texas courts and lawmakers to update the state's civil code into a consistent, streamlined process that approves and monitors the emerging field of children's contract law, The Dallas Morning News reported in Saturday's editions. A bill introduced in Austin by Rep. Senfronia Thompson, D-Houston, sets up a system in probate court for entertainment and sports contracts involving children.