Lopez v. Lopez

OPINION ON MOTION

SUSAN LARSEN, Justice.

This case is before the court on appel-lee’s motion to dismiss for want of jurisdiction. We dismiss the appeal, but not for the reason suggested by appellee. Rather, we find a referring court’s failure to hear an appeal from the report of an associate judge within 30 days, as required by the Family Code, does not deprive the referring court of jurisdiction.

FACTS

On April 16, 1998, an associate judge in El Paso County granted Rosalinda Lopez’s application for ' protective order, found there was a common law marriage between the parties, and awarded Ms.…