Editor's note: On June 6, the Texas Lawyer editorial department hosted a roundtable discussion in Houston, "Domestic Relations: How to Make Your Case in Family Court." Panelists included 312th District Judge David Farr, 308th District Judge James Lombardino and 247th Associate Judge Meca Walker. This is the first part of the discussion. The second part will be published in an upcoming issue. The judges' discussion covered the recent decision in Tedder v. Aldrich and its effect on awards of attorney fees in divorce proceedings, the rise in pro se litigants, prove-ups in default judgments and document presentation. It has been edited for length and style.

John Council, senior reporter, Texas Lawyer, Dallas: . . . I would like to start off with a question that's probably top of mind for everyone in this room this morning, and that is the subject of attorney fees. So, Judge Farr, I'm going to start with you. You've already grappled with this issue, but here is the question I want you to address: The Texas Supreme Court recently ruled that an ex-spouse's legal fees are not considered to be necessaries under the Family Code. How is that going to change the decisions on awarding attorney fees from the community estate?

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