At your divorce or child custody hearing, the opposing lawyer will have the ability to ask you about things you have done in the past that are asked by the opposing lawyer to try to put you in a bad light. Your spouse or ex will have told his/her lawyer about background information to use agaisnt you and then at the hearing the lawyer will be permitted to put you on the stand and ask you about a broad variety of things. Below are 23 example questions that you could be asked.
It is advisable that if any of these pieces of information apply to you, that you tell your lawyer about them before the hearing.
- been arrested?
- been acquitted?
- been placed on deferred adjudication?
- been indicted?
- been convicted?
- been incarcerated?
- used illegal drugs?
- used marijuana?
- abused prescription drugs?
- been hospitalized for alcohol use?
- been hospitalized for drugs?
- attempted suicide?
- been hospitalized for a mental health disorder?
- received mental health treatment of any kind?
- engaged unusual sexual practices?
- taken prescription medication for your mental health?
- during the marriage had a homosexual or bisexual relationship?
- had a pregnancy outside of marriage?
- had a sexual transmitted disease?
- failed to pay court-ordered child support?
- denied court-ordered visitation to another person?
- ever executed an affidavit of relinquishment of the parent-child relationship between him/herself and a child?
- had the parent-child relationship between him/herself and a child terminated?
Texas Law Allowing Broad Scope of Questions
192.3 Scope of Discovery. (a) Generally. In general, a party may obtain discovery regarding any matter that is not privileged and is relevant to the subject matter of the pending action, whether it relates to the claim or defense of the party seeking discovery or the claim or defense of any other party. It is not a ground for objection that the information sought will be inadmissible at trial if the information sought appears reasonably calculated to lead to the discovery of admissible evidence.