Marriage of Detrick CA1/4

I. BACKGROUND

The parties married in September 2018 and separated in February 2020. They have a daughter, D.D., born in 2018. Megan has an older minor daughter from a previous marriage. Adam filed a petition for dissolution in February 2020. Also in February 2020, Adam filed a request for a DVRO. Adam alleged that Megan physically abused him and D.D., and that Megan engaged in verbal and emotional abuse against him that included racial slurs and threats to prevent him from seeing D.D. Megan filed a DVRO request the following day. Megan alleged Adam physically and emotionally abused her and D.D. Over several days in July and August 2021, the court held an evidentiary hearing on the parties’ DVRO requests. On August 6, 2021, at the conclusion of the hearing, the court granted Adam’s request and denied Megan’s request. Addressing the parties’ credibility, the court stated: “Although the Court finds that Mr. Detrick was not honest in his testimony

2 Undesignated statutory references are to the Family Code.

3 Because we affirm the court’s order on the merits, we need not

address Adam’s contention that this appeal should be dismissed under the disentitlement doctrine based on…