Court Opinion

ID: 9554472
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-09 07:08:06.763147+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T15:34:26.383954
License: Public Domain

DISMISS and Opinion Filed August 3, 2023

                                      In The
                            Court of Appeals
                     Fifth District of Texas at Dallas
                               No. 05-23-00564-CV

              IN THE INTEREST OF K.J.S., A MINOR CHILD

               On Appeal from the 254th Judicial District Court
                            Dallas County, Texas
                    Trial Court Cause No. DF-21-19995

                        MEMORANDUM OPINION
               Before Justices Partida-Kipness, Reichek, and Miskel
                            Opinion by Justice Miskel
      Appellant Father filed a petition for divorce and appellee Mother filed a

counter-petition seeking a declaratory judgment that the parties did not have a

common law marriage. The parties sought conservatorship and child support for

their child in their respective petitions. Appellant appeals from the trial court’s

declaratory judgment finding that no marriage existed between the parties. Because

the trial court’s judgment left pending the issues of conservatorship and support for

the parties’ child, we questioned our jurisdiction over this appeal. We directed

appellant to file, by July 21, 2023 a letter brief addressing the Court’s concern and
cautioned him that failure to do so may result in dismissal of the appeal without

further notice. To date, appellant has not responded.

      Generally, this Court has jurisdiction over final judgments and certain

interlocutory orders as permitted by statute. See Lehmann v. Har–Con Corp., 39

S.W.3d 191, 195 (Tex. 2001); TEX. CIV. PRAC. & REM. CODE ANN. § 51.014(a)

(listing appealable interlocutory orders). A final judgment is one that disposes of all

parties and claims. See Lehmann, 39 S.W.3d at 195.

      Because the judgment does not resolve the claims regarding conservatorship

and support for the parties’ child and those claims remain pending, we dismiss the

appeal for want of jurisdiction. See TEX. R. APP. P. 42.3(a).

230564f.p05                                 /Emily Miskel/
                                            EMILY MISKEL
                                            JUSTICE

                                         –2–
                           Court of Appeals
                    Fifth District of Texas at Dallas
                                 JUDGMENT

IN THE INTEREST OF K.J.S., A                 On Appeal from the 254th Judicial
MINOR CHILD                                  District Court, Dallas County, Texas
                                             Trial Court Cause No. DF-21-19995.
No. 05-23-00564-CV                           Opinion delivered by Justice Miskel.
                                             Justices Partida-Kipness and Reichek
                                             participating.

    In accordance with this Court’s opinion of this date, the appeal is
DISMISSED.

       It is ORDERED that appellee Ayesha Rashetta Langrum recover her costs of
this appeal from appellant William Blaine Sanders.

Judgment entered this 3rd day of August, 2023.

                                       –3–