When the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services convinces a court to terminate parental rights, the appellate deadlines and procedures are, respectively, short and detailed. Because termination cases are accelerated appeals, a notice of appeal must be filed within twenty days of the day the order is signed. Further, a motion for new trial will not extend the appellate deadlines. In addition, as The Tyler Court of Appeals reminds in In the Interest of M.T., 290 S.W.3d 908 (Tex. App. - Tyler 2009), the appealing parent must file a statement of points to be raised on appeal within fifteen days of the judgment under Tex. Fam. Code § 263.405.

Courtesy of Verner & Brumley, P.C. Dallas, Texas

Tags: section 263.405, termination, deadlines