Opinion

Leah Lou Dees v. Robert Edward Dees

Court
Texas Court of Appeals, 3rd District (Austin)
Filed
Nov 2, 1994
Status
Published
Cited by
0 cases
Authority
More cited than 35.7%

The opinion

DEES

IN THE COURT OF APPEALS, THIRD DISTRICT OF TEXAS,

AT AUSTIN

NO. 3-94-190-CV

LEAH LOU DEES,

APPELLANT

vs.

ROBERT EDWARD DEES,

APPELLEE

FROM THE DISTRICT COURT OF HAYS COUNTY, 274TH JUDICIAL DISTRICT

NO. 93-324, HONORABLE LINDA RODRIGUEZ, JUDGE PRESIDING

Appellant Leah Lou Dees appeals from a final divorce decree rendered by the

district court of Hays County on January 18, 1994. In the decree, appellee Robert Edward Dees

was named managing conservator of Robert Jennings Dees, a minor child of the marriage, and

appellant was granted supervised visitation rights. The gravamen of appellant's points of error

is that the trial court erred in not ordering blood tests to determine the paternity of the child. We

will affirm the trial court's decree.

As the party seeking review, appellant had the burden to present a record showing

error requiring reversal. Tex. R. App. P. 50(d); Christiansen v. Prezelski , 782 S.W.2d 842, 843

(Tex. 1990); University of Tex. at Austin v. Hinton , 822 S.W.2d 197, 202 (Tex. App.--Austin

1991, no writ). Appellant failed to procure findings of fact and conclusions of law from the trial

court. (1) In the absence of findings of fact and conclusions of law, we must affirm the judgment

of the trial court on any legal theory supported by the evidence. Without findings or conclusions,

we presume the trial court resolved all questions of fact in support of the judgment. Pierson v.

GFH Fin. Servs. Corp. , 829 S.W.2d 311, 314 (Tex. App.--Austin 1992, no writ). Appellant also

failed to timely file a statement of facts with this Court. See Dees v. Dees , No. 3-94-190-CV

(Tex. App.--Austin June 29, 1994, no writ h.) (order denying motion for extension of time to file

statement of facts). In the absence of a statement of facts, this Court must presume that the

evidence supports the trial court judgment. Guthrie v. National Homes Corp. , 394 S.W.2d 494,

495 (Tex. 1965); Fort Bend County v. Texas Parks & Wildlife Comm'n , 818 S.W.2d 898, 900

(Tex. App.--Austin 1991, no writ).

Appellant contends that appellee is not the child's biological father. Her first point

of error asserts that the trial court erred in not ordering blood tests to determine paternity in the

final decree of divorce as required by Texas Family Code Annotated § 12.06 and § 13.02.

Appellee responds that blood tests were ordered at a prior hearing but never completed because

appellant was unwilling to pay one-half of the cost as ordered by the court on May 26, 1993. The

record on appeal contains no evidence of whether the trial court failed to order the requested blood

tests or ordered the blood tests on certain conditions or which party refused to comply with such

order. In the absence of such a record, we presume the trial court resolved this question in a

manner that supports its judgment. We overrule appellant's first point of error.

In her second and fourth points of error, appellant argues that the trial court erred

in overruling a motion for continuance and in failing to appoint an attorney ad litem. Appellant

apparently filed no written motion for continuance, and therefore we have no record before us that

such a motion was made or that the required affidavit was filed in support of the motion. See

Tex. R. Civ. P. 251, 252; McCann v. Brown , 725 S.W.2d 822, 826 (Tex. App.--Fort Worth 1987,

no writ). Similarly, nothing in the record indicates that appellant asked the trial court to appoint

an attorney ad litem because the interests of the child would not otherwise be adequately

represented. Accordingly, we overrule appellant's second and fourth points of error.

Appellant asserts in her third point of error that "the trial court erred in not

imposing a lesser sanction on appellant for any perceived failure to submit to a blood test." To

be considered by a court of appeals, a point of error must direct the court's attention to the error

about which complaint is made. Tex. R. App. P. 74(d). The trial court's decree does not

mention sanctions. Moreover, appellant does not discuss any sanctions, cite a record reference

to sanctions, or cite any authority in her argument to support a contention that part of the divorce

decree functions as a sanction. See Tex. R. App. P. 74(f); Teague v. Bandy , 793 S.W.2d 50, 58

(Tex. App.--Austin 1990, writ denied) (holding that points of error not supported by authority are

waived). Because we are unable to discern the substance of appellant's argument, we overrule

her third point of error.

The trial court's decree of divorce is affirmed.

Bea Ann Smith, Justice

Before Jutices Powers, Aboussie and B. A. Smith

Affirmed

Filed: November 2, 1994

Do Not Publish

1. Although the appellant requested findings of fact and conclusions of law, she did not

file a notice of past due findings of fact and conclusions of law as required under Tex. R.

Civ. P. 297. Thus, appellant has waived any complaint concerning the trial court's

failure to file requested findings of fact. See Pierson v. GFH Fin. Servs. Corp. , 829 S.W.2d

311, 314 (Tex. App.--Austin 1992, no writ).

This is a copy of a public record, reproduced as it was published. It is not legal advice, and it may not be the version a court would rely on. Check the official source before you cite it.

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