Opinion ID: 2452405
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Heading: The History of Child Support Statutes

Text: Prior to 1935, there was no statute which authorized the divorce court to provide for child support orders as a part of a divorce decree. The court, however, recognized the parent's duty of support and devised their own procedure for providing it. It was in this context that the courts from a very early period held that child support was a factor that judges should consider in dividing the estate of the parties. The courts also created the device of placing property in trust as a means to afford child support from the revenues. Hedtke v. Hedtke, 112 Tex. 404, 248 S.W. 21 (1923); Rice v. Rice, 21 Tex. 58 (1858); Fitts v. Fitts, 14 Tex. 443 (1855). In 1935, the legislature for the first time authorized divorce courts to inquire into the financial circumstances of the family and to order child support in the decree. Tex. Laws 1935, ch. 39, § 1 at 111. The legislation was codified as article 4639a. In 1953, the statute was amended to extend the support period from age sixteen to age eighteen. Tex.Laws 1953, ch. 127, § 1, at 439. In 1961, the legislature again expressed its special concern for physically or mentally unsound children. Tex.Laws 1961, ch. 31, § 1, at 135. The law was codified as article 4639a-1 and became effective on November 6, 1961. It provided that divorce courts could order support for such a child  whether a minor or not, subject to the power and authority of the Court to alter, change, suspend or otherwise revise its judgments as the facts and circumstances may require .... (emphasis added). For the first time, the legislature authorized divorce courts to make provision, not only for minors up to a stated age, but for continued support beyond majority and whether a minor or not. While article 4639a-1 was in force, the case of Tharp v. Tharp, 438 S.W.2d 391 (Tex.Civ.App.1969, writ dism'd) arose. The sequence of events in Tharp parallel the facts of the present case. The Tharps were divorced on June 17, 1960. At that time article 4639a-1 had not been enacted, the decree, consequently, made no provision for support of Peter Tharp, an incompetent child. In 1961 when Peter was thirteen years old, that statute became effective. The father made his support payments under the court order until Peter reached eighteen and then he stopped. There was no order by the trial court that payments should be continued after Peter reached eighteen. This is the same thing that has happened in the case of Mr. Red. Three months after Peter reached age eighteen, his mother returned to the trial court seeking an order for continued support for her incompetent child. The reasoning in Tharp for imposing upon the father the duty of continuing support for his disabled child is: Here the statute became effective in 1961, but Peter Tharp did not reach 18 until 1966. Also, the disability and required custodial care is shown to have existed continuously since about 1952, and appellant knew it. This disability did not originate after the child became 18 years of age, and we do not believe the trial court lost jurisdiction of the case when Peter Tharp became 18. The statute itself provides that the court may require and enforce support payments for such disabled child whether a minor or not. We do not believe the Legislature intended that Art. 4639a-1 receive a restrictive and technical application. On the other hand the statute should receive a liberal interpretation to insure that its just purpose is effective and meaningful. We need not labor the question. We hold that the statute, under the facts of this case, is applicable and fully effective to require that appellant continue support of his unmarried, physically and mentally unsound child, requiring custodial care, and who cannot adequately take care of or provide for himself and who is without property or income sufficient to provide for his reasonable and necessary care. At 394-395. A like holding is found in McGowen v. McGowen, 273 S.W.2d 658 (Tex.Civ.App. 1954, writ dism'd). A divorce decree ordered the support of a child until she reached sixteen. Before she reached sixteen, the legislature amended article 4639a by authorizing support up to age eighteen rather than sixteen. After the child reached sixteen, a motion was filed to compel support up to age eighteen. The court ruled that the duty of support came into existence by statute before the child reached sixteen and granted the relief. See also Du Pre v. Du Pre, 271 S.W.2d 829 (Tex.Civ.App.1954, no writ). It is acknowledged that Mr. Red was under the duty to support Diana under the provisions of article 4639a-1 and the precedents which construed that statute. The holding, however, of the majority is that the legislature intended by the enactment of section 14.05 of the Family Code, effective January 1, 1974, to repeal the duty and to set aside Tharp v. Tharp and similar cases.