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Accelerates When Conflict PAPERCITY PROMOTION D ivorce or custody-related emergencies rarely announce themselves as legal problems at first. A bank account that has always been shared is emptied or frozen overnight. A credit card is denied, leaving one spouse without the ability to pay basic expenses. A disagreement turns physical. A lapse in judgment places you or your child at risk. "When emotions spike, our hard-wired instincts tell us to act quickly," says Lee Budner, partner at Calabrese Budner. "Behavior in response to an emergency situation — especially at the outset of a case — can have immediate and lasting consequences for children, finances, and personal safety." In the long run, the law does not reward reactiveness or escalation. It rewards strategy, decisiveness, and, sometimes, restraint. Emergency relief is one of the How Family Disputes Turn Urgent — and Why Experience Matters most powerful tools available in family court — and one of the easiest to misuse. Not every family law attorney is equipped to step into these situations, and not every firm has the experience judges expect when asked to intervene on an emergency basis. When the Court Will Act Immediately Texas courts reserve emergency relief for circumstances involving a credible risk of serious harm. These are not routine disagreements or moments of heightened conflict; they are situations that threaten safety, stability, or the integrity of existing court orders. Emergency situations may include: • A parent threatening to withhold a child or remove them from the state. • Credible concerns involving abuse, neglect, or substance misuse affecting a child. • S u d d e n d r a i n i n g o f f i n a n c i a l accounts or concealment of assets. • Interference with access to a marital re s i d e n c e o r e s s e n t i a l p ro p e r t y. • Violations of existing court orders involving children or finances. Judges take these matters seriously — but they expect credible evidence and a path forward to address the emergency. "As a trial lawyer, you learn quickly that judges are highly sensitive to manufactured urgency," says Derek Bragg, partner at Calabrese Budner. "If you walk into court asking for emergency relief, you need to be precise, measured, and prepared to prove why immediate intervention is truly necessary." Emergency Orders and Temporary Restraining Orders Emergency relief typically comes in the form of Temporary Restraining Orders (TROs) or Emergency Protective Orders. These are short-term court orders designed to stabilize volatile situations and prevent further harm until a full hearing can be held. In some circumstances, a judge may issue emergency orders without notice to the other party, if there is a demonstrated risk of immediate harm. These orders can address custody, possession of a child, financial restraints, or use of property. Because follow-up hearings often occur within days or weeks, precision and preparation from the outset are critical. "At the emergency stage, you are not just advocating for a momentary position," Budner says. "You are establishing credibility with the court and setting the tone for everything that follows. Judges remember who comes prepared, and who doesn't." Why Emergency Family Law Requires a Distinct Skill Set Emergency matters are not simply accelerated versions of traditional family law cases. They demand a specific blend of experience, judgment, and composure that not every attorney possesses. Effective emergency advocacy requires: • Depth and breadth of courtroom and trial experience. • A strong command of procedural and evidentiary rules. • Judgment and credibility. • Emotional intelligence under intense pressure. • Experience handling high-conflict personalities and coercive dynamics. 126