Legal Question in Family Law in Texas

1. You control the timing of the case a little.

2. You get to go first at the temporary orders hearing, if there is one.

3. You get to go first and last at the final trial, if there is one.

While I usually prefer these advantages, it is not often very consequential. Being the respondent rather than the petitioner rarely overcomes the other facts of the case. It is more important to go first if there are bad facts against you so that you can explain them before the other side gets to shock the judge or jury.