Section Report

| Spring 2026

Columns

A Closer Look at the Thorny Issue of Goodwill, Part 3: How Texas Courts Have Distinguished between Personal Goodwill and Commercial Goodwill

By Aaron Ballard, CPA/ABV

Part 3 of a series on goodwill in Texas divorce: a breakdown of the key factors courts use to distinguish personal goodwill (not divisible) from commercial goodwill (divisible). Read the Article

Family Law From Around the Nation

By Rob McAngus

Notable family law rulings from around the country: premarital agreements in South Dakota and Wyoming, child custody in Wyoming and Georgia, property division in California, and more. Read the Article

A Closer Look at the Thorny Issue of Goodwill, Part 3: Personal vs. Commercial Goodwill

By Aaron Ballard, CPA/ABV

This quarter’s column is the third part in a series aimed at doing a deep dive into the valuation and divisibility of goodwill in the Texas divorce context — this time, a summary of the factors Texas courts use to distinguish personal from commercial goodwill. Read the Article

The Challenge of Personality Disorders in Custody Evaluations

By John A. Zervopoulos, Ph.D., J.D., ABPP

Preparing for a deposition of a court-appointed evaluator in your child custody case, you open the evaluator’s report for questions related to how the evaluator characterized your client. How do you know if these diagnoses are legit? Read the Article

Pauses on Adjudication of Immigration Benefits and Travel Bans Under Current Trump Administration

By Angelique Montano

In both President Trump’s first and current administrations, the federal government initiated travel bans for nationals of certain countries. This article addresses the current travel ban and the pause of USCIS adjudications for nationals of certain countries. Read the Article

AI Chats and Discovery: A Warning for Texas Family Lawyers

By Patrick A. Wright

A February 2026 federal ruling ordering production of a criminal defendant’s AI chat materials is a warning for Texas family lawyers: a client’s “private” chat with an AI platform may be the opposite of private in discovery. Read the Article

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NEWSLETTER CO-EDITORS-IN-CHIEF:

Beth M. Johnson, PLLC
8150 N. Cent. Expy, Ste. 1255
Dallas, Texas 75206
(972) 467-5847
beth@bethmjohnson.com

Patrick A. Wright, Attorney-Mediator — The Wright Firm, L.L.P.
400 Parker Square, Ste 205
Flower Mound, Texas 75028
(972) 353-4600
patrick@thewrightlawyers.com

Family Law Section, State Bar of Texas Section Report Disclaimer

The Family Law Section presents the information in the Family Law Section Report as a service to its members. Opinions expressed herein are solely those of the respective authors and are not the opinions of the State Bar of Texas or the Family Law Section. While the information in the Family Law Section Report addresses legal issues, it is not legal advice. Due to the rapidly changing nature of the law and the Family Law Section's reliance on information provided by outside sources, the Family Law Section makes no warranty or guarantee concerning the accuracy or reliability of the content of the Family Law Section Report. Views or opinions are not intended to malign or endorse any race, gender, religion, ethnic group, sexual orientation, political affiliation, or individual.

© 2026 by the State Bar of Texas. The copyright of a signed article is retained by the author unless otherwise noted. For reprinting authorization, contact the Chairman of the Family Law Section of the State Bar of Texas. All rights reserved.