Terms Used In Texas Family Code 42.005

  • Defendant: In a civil suit, the person complained against; in a criminal case, the person accused of the crime.
  • Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
  • Plaintiff: The person who files the complaint in a civil lawsuit.

A suit may be filed in a county in which:
(1) the plaintiff resides;
(2) the defendant resides;
(3) a suit affecting the parent-child relationship as provided by Chapter 102 may be brought, concerning the child who is the subject of the court order; or
(4) a court has continuing, exclusive jurisdiction as provided by Chapter 155.