Texas grandfather won child support case against grandchildren’s mother after their father’s death. (AI image)
Last week, a Texas appeals court upheld a $93,778 judgment against the mother, including more than $65,000 in medical expenses. As detailed in the court ruling available on Justia , Rain Levy Minns Udall and her husband divorced in 2016, with both retaining legal responsibility for their three children. He died in November 2017. The medical bills covered treatment received by the children between July 2021 and March 2024. Under the arrangements made in 2021, Udall was responsible for all healthcare expenses not covered by insurance if she was not providing the children’s insurance.
A Texas grandfather who became the primary caregiver of his three grandchildren following their father’s death has won a legal battle against their mother over unpaid child support and medical bills. Soon afterwards, the father was diagnosed with cancer. Four years later, the children’s grandfather, Michael Minns, went to court seeking responsibility for their care. His first application concerned only the eldest child, but he later asked to take responsibility for all three. The court eventually granted him sole managing conservatorship, making him the children’s primary legal caregiver. The court had also ordered Udall to contribute financially towards her children’s upbringing and healthcare. When Minns claimed that these payments were not being made, he returned to court seeking the outstanding money. The court records also noted that all three children had significant mental healthcare needs alongside physical healthcare expenses. The later custody order continued to place responsibility for these costs on her, subject to provisions concerning the deceased father’s estate. Despite those arrangements, Minns asked the court to recover only half of the outstanding medical expenses. The mother had another objection. She argued that the custody proceedings should have been handled by the court that dealt with her divorce rather than a different district court in Travis County.